By Brian Sodoma, for Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

As we move into winter, many homeowners tend to prioritize checking their furnaces and any other HVAC systems, often neglecting other important utilities. While supporting your heating is a smart move, your home’s plumbing system might need professional service too.

You might want to consider a yearly plumbing checkup. After all, plumbing issues are often only noticed once something breaks, but it's likely that your system might have been trying to alert you to the trouble. To minimize your risk of needing serious repairs, here are a few often overlooked signs that your plumbing system needs immediate attention.

1. Poor Pressure

If the water pressure in your entire home drops suddenly, that’s often because there's an issue with the main water line. It could be a failure somewhere along the main line as well as a pipe within it, explained BJ Richardson, a Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing plumbing manager.

However, if the drop in pressure is isolated to one room, like the bathroom or kitchen, it might be a fixture problem. It could be a simple fix, like swapping out a broken faucet aerator or addressing a water heater issue. Or it could possibly be something a little more complex, like a supply line leading to that room.

“I always tell people to keep an eye on their water bill too. If these pressure drops happen at the same time when you also have to deal with a higher bill, there may be a deeper problem,” Richardson said. “It’s also a good idea to check your water meter for changes even when you aren't using water. That’s another sign there's a leak somewhere.”

Occasionally a sudden drop in water pressure is in fact because of a problem with the municipal supply Ð if so, that is easily resolved with help from a booster pump.

2. A “Sewer” Smell in the Home

“While kitchen or bathroom sink clogs can sometimes cause unpleasant odors because of debris, a persistent sulfur or rotten egg smell suggests a serious concern. Drains have a trap and vent inside them and either component can fail. If the smell never goes away, you may have to consider or even a sewer gas leak. Solving these problems should be entrusted to the professionals, Richardson said.

Don't forget that while propane and natural gas carry a distinctive smell, those leaks are often mistaken as a sewer smell. When in doubt, reach out to a professional.”

3. Discolored Pipes

Discoloration and visible wear on exposed pipes are other signs that can be easy to overlook. If you’re in a room with exposed plumbing, it’s useful to check all the pipes in plain view. Discoloration and noticeable wear usually points to the presence of a leak.

The most common discoloration appears in an area of the plumbing where two pipes join. Failing to notice discoloration can be problematic when it comes to the main water supply because they are pressurized, Richardson explained. When the pipe breaks, it can release a substantial amount of water into your home very quickly.

For some sections of the piping, discoloration comes from the different chemicals municipal services employ to sanitize and treat the water.

4. Slow Drains

We understand it may be tempting for homeowners to solve clog-related problems with liquid drain cleaner, but that's usually only a temporary fix that could backfire and damage your plumbing system. While we’ve all heard of clogs caused by hair, the truth is hair is not the true culprit. Items such as cleaners, toothpaste, hand soaps and even the natural oils in our skin create a sticky scum on the drain walls that catches hair and other debris, something most liquid drain cleaners won’t remove. Using a drain machine or snake will be the most effective method to tackle this type of slow drain or clog. Often, if a clog is right inside the pipes below the sink, cleaning it usually solves the problem. But when this doesn't work, it could suggest a more significant issue.

“The thing you ought to monitor is if multiple drains are constantly clogging, and the problem doesn’t resolve itself after cleaning the drain under those sinks,” said Brian McMasters, a Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing division plumbing manager. “The sewer line , but in some cases, we also come across tree roots that slowly damage and crack a sewer line. Handling this kind of situation is obviously more complex to perform and requires trenching down into the ground until we find the exact location of the leak to repair it.”

5. Damp or Flooded Spots in Your Front or Back Yard

Regularly check all around your house, including your yard. It's wise to take care of this every week. Frequently, a broken underground water or irrigation line leak, or even a sewer main line leak, becomes more obvious gradually, when lots of water has already leaked underground. Look for soft, sunken spots in your yard as these can indicate a hidden issue.

“You also want to be on the lookout for things including sudden green patches in typically dry or yellow areas of the lawn,” noted McMasters. “In many cases, that’s a sign there's a problem a trained plumber can solve.”

Discover more about avoiding common issues with plumbing systems and look forward to expert help at Service Experts