We all love the Emerald City, but none of us love plumbing problems. When it comes to plumbing, some problems can arise anywhere and others are unique to Seattle.. Knowing the most common things to watch out for will help you get on top of problems before they become disasters.

Damp basements and crawl spaces

When rainy season hits Seattle in the fall, you need to be prepared. If your drainage system isn’t in good shape, your drain lines are clogged, or you don’t have a sump pump to help carry away water from the basement, you put your home at risk.

It’s not just a matter of water building up in the basement and damaging things stored down there. You could also have mold growth or damage to your foundation. Seattle plumbers can help you assess the situation and make sure you’re prepared for the rain.

Sinks that drain slowly

If just one sink is draining slowly, it’s probably buildup in that particular drain. In the kitchens, the issue is likely to be grease and scraps of food. In the bathroom, it’s usually hair and residue for shampoos and soaps.

If all your sinks are slow, the problem could be with your sewer line: and that could be a major, and expensive, disaster. Whether it’s just one drain or all of them, getting on it as soon as you notice the problem is key to avoiding any larger issues later.

Poor water pressure

If your faucet has started trickling instead of flowing, there are a number of possible problems. It could be that the aerator on the faucet’s tip simply needs to be cleaned out, which is a simple procedure.

If the slowdown is very sudden, spreads to several faucets, or isn’t fixed by cleaning the aerator, the problem could be more serious. It could be a broken or leaky pipe in the system that is letting too much of the water escape.

You notice water where there shouldn’t be

If there’s water coming out of the bottom of your dishwasher, seeping from around the toilet, or forming small patches of damp on the wall or ceiling, don’t wait to take care of it. What appears to be a small leak could be much larger behind or underneath.

Even if the leak is small now, it will only get larger with time. Meanwhile, the water will be rotting wood, encouraging mold to grow and pushing your water bill ever higher.

You hear gurgling sounds

Seattle has some old sewer lines, and throughout the older neighborhoods, these lines are reaching their expiration date. City codes lay a lot of the sewer line responsibility on property owners instead of the city.

If you notice any sewer smell in the house, strange gurgling from the toilets, or anything else that concerns you, you should get it checked out right away. With sewer lines, it always pays to get them maintained rather than wait for the worst to happen.

Your toilet is clogged

There are all kinds of things that can clog a toilet, and this is a problem you’re unlikely to let sit for very long. The first thing to try is always a plunger, and accordion-style plungers are more effective than the traditional shape.

If the plunger doesn’t work, you could try a plumber’s snake to make sure an errant toy or something similar hasn’t made it down the toilet. If that doesn’t work, be wary of using any commercial drain cleaners. They are bad for the environment and will corrode your pipes over time.

It’s never a good idea to let plumping issues wait. If you jump on a problem as soon as you notice it, you have a good chance of getting it fixed quickly and cheaply.