August 21st is reserved to celebrate our cherished elderly community - yes, it’s World Senior Citizens Day! We cherish and love our senior community and admire their graceful aging.
Your plumbing system, on the other hand, shouldn’t be allowed to get to old. When your plumbing is past its recommended lifespan, it can cause a barrage of problems that will not only be inconvenient but costly as well.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the problems that can be incurred with older plumbing and what you can do to avoid these problems.
The Problem of Lower Water Pressure
Low water pressure in your home can certainly be seen as an inconvenience, but you may not know that it can cause a bigger problem.
Essentially, over time zinc, lead, and iron can lead to corrosion in your galvanized piping. When this happens, iron and other minerals can build up and even cause rust.
Not only is this unhealthy for drinking, but it can also cause a slew of other problems including a water main rupture due to your pipelines getting blocked with dirt and sediment.
Old Pipes Can Lead to Health Issues
It’s incredibly important that the water we drink, cook with, as well as bathe is clean. Unfortunately, when you’re dealing with older piping it can mean that you may be bringing dirty water into your home. A particular problem that can be caused is the release of lead through the piping. When old piping is galvanized it can release lead into the home’s drinking water, which can, in turn, lead to lead poisoning and other health problems such as:
Nausea- Constipation
- Abdominal Pain
- Headaches
- Cognitive Issues
- Fatigue
- Reproductive Problems
- Insomnia
Making sure that your pipes aren’t outside of their lifespan and that they’re kept in good condition can prevent contaminated water-related health problems.
Constant Clogs and the Effects They Have
If you experience constant clogs in your home, it can indicate a more complicated problem with your home’s plumbing pipes. After years of use, soap scum, waste and sewage can build up and clog your pipes with gunk and debris.
This can lessen the amount of room that water has to leave and either slow draining down or stop it entirely. If clogging seems to be a regularly occurring problem, it may be time to check into replacing some or all of your piping.
There are certain things in this world that get better with age: cheese, wine, art, our senior community. Your piping, however, is not like this. The older your pipes get, the less they’ll be able to effectively take care of your home’s incoming and outgoing water needs.
Being proactive about replacing and servicing your water pipes can help you to avoid larger problems and save you money. If you’re concerned about the age of your pipes or have a need for servicing, please give B&L Plumbing a call today at (719) 638-7341. We’ll send a plumbing expert out to your home to help ensure your pipes aren’t becoming a member of the senior community.