You do not think about your plumbing until something goes wrong. Backflow issues are some of the more insidious and dangerous plumbing concerns, where wastewater mixes with potable water in parts of your plumbing system because of pressure imbalances. The following signs are clear indications you need to call a Fox Valley plumbing company to assess and correct backflow problems.
Smell That Smell
When any room in your house with a plumbing fixture smells of rotten eggs, take that as a symptom of the problem; you may notice this odor predominately or entirely in your bathroom. Sulfur is another descriptor of the smell. Note that sometimes the odor emerges only when you run water or flush the toilet.
Color Me Brown
Hold a glass of water pulled from one of your faucets up to a window and note its appearance. If the water looks blue or brown or has swirls running through, it is showing signs of backflow concerns. Taking measure of your water’s appearance sooner rather than later will give you a baseline to compare against down the road. Be aware that spring and fall municipal water hydrant flushing can temporarily discolor your water as well; usually, you will receive notice of these scheduled flushings.
Ride a Slow River
One of the joys that comes from well-performing plumbing is that of good water flow. When your system is suffering from backflow challenges, you will notice some or all of your fixtures have lost pressure. You may wait longer for toilets to refill, may need to crank your sink faucets further to generate an acceptable water stream or may notice slowly emptying drains.
Both practical matters and safety issues are cause for dealing with plumbing backflow challenges. If you notice any changes in your system, particularly related to the water’s flow, color or smell, you should immediately call professionals to resolve the concern.