How Bad Plumbing Can Negatively Impact Your Health

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High temperatures in Fort Worth, TX, can result in many plumbing problems for homeowners. Bad plumbing may result in corroded pipes and clogged drains host to multiple kinds of bacteria.

These plumbing problems can impact the health of residents too. These plumbing issues require immediate attention before they can cause damage.

Indoor leaks:

Water leaks can happen in pipes within the walls of the house, keeping them hidden from the eyes. If left to foster, these water leaks can cause mold and mildew to grow in the walls.

Mold can have severe negative impacts on those who have asthma and other allergic reactions and can cause long term respiratory problems later on.

Mold growth can cause throat, skin, nose irritation, frequent coughing and sneezing, sinus problems, and fever accompanied by difficulty in breathing. It may also cause rashes and itchy, red eyes in residents of the house.

These problems arise due to our breathing in harmful spores from mold and fungi. These spores can fill the air around the leaking pipes, transfer through walls, and cause multiple allergic reactions and irritation.

For patients with existing respiratory problems, this issue becomes even more severe, so you need to act fast when you see a pipe leak.

Image file name: damp-wall-corner

Image alt text: damp wall corner

What to do:

Get to the source of the problem by finding out where the moisture source is. A leaky pipe may be hidden inside the walls, so you will have to call in mold removal experts and your plumber to take care of it.

If you are unsure why mold is forming, it may be best to call your licensed plumber to address the problem before it gets aggravated.

Clogged Drains:

If your sink basins are not draining as fast as they used to, or your showers have water accumulated for a couple of minutes, chances are you may have clogged drains.

Mildly clogged drains are easy to take care of with a few DIY tricks, but for more serious clogs, you might want to call in experts to deal with them.

It is also better to find out the root cause of a clogged drain since it can become a problem for the whole house if left to be.

Blocked drains also provide a great environment for bacteria and mold to breed in, and the germs from these can cause infections and respiratory problems for residents.

However, clearing out your drains needs to be done all year round. To prevent food scraps, soap scum, hair, and other material from clogging your drains, use drain plugs to trap the material.

To prevent any germs from growing on these, make sure to clear the traps twice a week and get a plumbing check done every few months.

Image file name: clogged-sewage-drain-pipe

Image alt text: clogged sewage drain pipe

Sewer Backup

Sewer backups can result in a huge disgusting mess that causes health problems for nearby residents and their pets almost immediately. They are a pain to clean up and require a team of plumbing professionals who can clear out sewer waste.

If not taken care of, sewer backups can cause many health problems to anyone exposed to it. It may cause residents to experience gastroenteritis, which causes diarrhea and vomiting, and hepatitis in more severe cases.

Hepatitis can lead to discolored skin, liver failure or jaundice. Therefore, sewers need to be kept in good, working condition and any slow drains need to be inspected by a professional plumber before it leads to a full-blown issue.

Sewer Gas

Not to be taken lightly, sewer gas can do more than give your home an ugly odor. It is made up of a mix of inorganic gases resulting from bacteria in the sewage and sludge.

It sounds disgusting because it is. Plumbing vents are designed to exhaust sewer gases outside, so any inefficiency on their part or old plumbing fixtures can result in sewer gas coming into your house.

This is more likely to happen when the dry weather causes drains to dry up and rapidly evaporate sewer gases back into the living space. Clogged drains or a sewer backup can also cause sewer smells in your house.

Bad plumbing resulting in ill-fitting pipe connections and leaks from rotten drain pipes also bring the sewer smell into your home. The smell is not just unbearable; it causes respiratory problems to those taking it in as well.

Image file name: plumbing-pipes

Image alt text: plumbing pipes

Rusty water heaters:

Water heaters need to be maintained regularly to keep them in good working condition. However, regular use of water heaters leads to them getting rusted from the inside.

This rust causes sediment to gather, and the heater cannot give the proper water pressure as before. The rust may also get into your home’s water supply and contaminate it, causing a list of health concerns.

Sediment buildup, therefore, can lead to your water heater having to work twice as hard and use more energy. As a result, the metal chassis has to work harder than it is supposed to and get worn out faster.

The rust may accumulate to form bacteria and other microorganisms to grow in your water heater, and you definitely don’t want those in your drinking water.

If you notice any of the symptoms of these plumbing issues in your Fort Worth home, you need to call in a professional plumbing company such as Pro Serve Plumbers, who can perform emergency plumbing services in Fort worth TX for you.

Isabelle J. is an online tutor. She has been an IT instructor for the past few years. Being a certified IT trainer herself, she encourages people to learn top IT skills and provides tips on finding high-end jobs in the industry.