What Can Go Wrong With Your Residential Water Pipes?
More than 99% of the population has hot and cold piped water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub meth pipe or shower brought into their home via residential water pipes in the U.S. Having fresh potable water brought into the home and wastewater taken away via pipes is the result of centuries of experimenting with water delivery systems and the hallmark of modern civilization. Although modern water and sewer systems require little intervention by users to work effectively, the flow of water can be interrupted if something goes wrong.
What Can Go Wrong With Your Residential Water Pipes?
Assuming there is no problem with the source of the water, the problem is usually in the water pipes themselves. What can go wrong to cause the three major types of malfunctions – leakage, blockage, or breakage?
Poor installation. Assuming that the pipe design was correct to ease the flow of water to and from your home, improper sealing, bad solder joints, incorrect fittings, or loose nuts can lead to eventual leaks.
Improper pipe size. Pipes with too small of a diameter to handle the flow of water can overflow, become blocked, or split from increased pressure.
Wear and tear. As water passes through your pipes at high speed, the pipes shift slightly, which causes them to eventually wear down and weaken at the sealing point. Also, water pressure friction causes the metal to erode over time.
Aging infrastructure. Water lines installed decades ago may corrode from age, especially if they are made of galvanized iron. Rust and mineral deposits eat away at the metal, which is also affected by the acidity of surrounding soil.
Weather changes. In freezing temperatures, water can expand and crack pipes and fittings.