You never want to deal with plumbing problems, but you will have to eventually—especially if you live in an aging home. If you’re interested in fixing these kinds of issues on your own, it might help to know which common problems you can expect. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of the most common plumbing problems for you to check out.

Pipe leaks
Leaking pipes are part and parcel of DIY plumbing. It’s one of the most basic issues you can encounter, and can be a common occurrence no matter the time of year. Water damage brought by leaks can cause considerable damage to your property, so it’s important to spot and solve these issues at the soonest possible opportunity.

Dripping faucets
Perhaps your faucets don’t completely shut off when you turn the knob, and you dismiss the few drops as something minor and move on with your life. Breaking news: those drops add up! Make sure you remedy the problem and eliminate the drips. This will ensure that you don’t end up paying more for your water bill than what you actually consume.

Clogged drains
Keeping drains flowing smoothly also makes your life flow smoothly. It can be jarring to do the dishes or brush your teeth, only to find that the kitchen or bathroom sink doesn’t drain. Imagine if it’s the bathtub drain that refuses to flush the water out! Not only is this a hassle, but standing water also adds a measure of risk to your health and well-being.

You can always try and use DIY decloggers, as long as you’re sure it won’t damage your drains. For best results, seek the aid of professional plumbers to make sure the problem is taken care of properly.

Low water pressure
Check if your water pipes have a filter that needs to be replaced. Clear the lines of sediment buildup or possible debris that could be impeding the water flow. If this doesn’t resolve the pressure issue, there might be a leaky or damaged pipe somewhere in the system—and this needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Maintenance
Or lack thereof. Not being able to inspect your pipes periodically is a surefire way to find more problems than you can deal with after some time has passed. Even if you use plumbing fixtures pretty much on a daily basis, it can be hard to notice issues unless you go for a closer and more thorough look. It’s better if you can check your plumbing once in a while so you know everything is in tip-top shape—or, in case they’re not, then you can deal with the problems immediately.

The most common plumbing problems are fairly easy to deal with; that is, unless you refuse to deal with them. Then they become impossible trials that only the most skilled plumbers can fix. Don’t let this happen to you! Make sure you inspect your plumbing periodically and get any problems fixed right away. You’ll have to deal with them eventually, and you know what they say—there’s no time like the present.

If you don’t have much experience doing DIY work around the house, things like plumbing can seem quite complex and the tasks can be daunting. However, many of the puzzling things about plumbing can be explained relatively easily—and sometimes you just need to look up simple solutions to seemingly complex plumbing problems.

Why are pipes curved?
The design of pipework underneath kitchen or bathroom sinks can be a mystery, but they are how they are for a reason. It’s all about physics. The curve in the pipes prevent fumes from the sewer from going up into your home.

As they come from the sewers and the mixture of substances and chemicals there, these fumes can be toxic and affect the health of people, so it’s necessary to have the U-shaped assembly so that there will be a water seal in the pipe. The water seal is created when water is trapped in the curve after the faucet has been turned off. This bit of the construction is also referred to as a ‘trap’.

An interesting byproduct of curved drain pipes is when you accidentally drop something important down the drain—like, say, a wedding or engagement ring—the design will give you a chance to still fish out the valuable object because it’s trapped in the curve instead of going straight down into the depths of who-knows-where.

What are plumbing vents?
Speaking of noxious fumes that can cause harmful effects to a home’s inhabitants, there’s also another part of the plumbing system that helps offset this ever-present threat: plumbing vents.

Vents in a plumbing system are necessary to prevent air from getting into a home. Even water seals in the pipework may not be sufficient if there’s such a large volume of air being pushed by a massive amount of water flow.

There are rules in the plumbing code that account for these vents, and how much need to be present in the system to accommodate all variables. It is important to make sure that the plumbing system in your home conforms to these requirements to ensure complete integrity and the safety of the people living in your residence.

What’s a pitch?
Simply put, the putch is the angle at which water flows easily, helped by our good old friend, gravity. This pitch, also called a slope, has to be calculated properly to make sure that wastewater flows out of your home completely and efficiently. The common guideline is to have a quarter-inch frop per foot of pipe, but more or less, it depends on the diameter of the pipe that’s going to be installed. Make sure you check the plumbing code for the proper minimum slope guidance.

Did the plumbing tidbits discussed above provide you with useful information? Hopefully, some of those items have made the science behind plumbing less of a mystery for some of you. If you think you’re still in way over your head, don’t think twice and look up the best plumbing service you can find in your area.