Dirty water can make you sick. Thus, bad plumbing, your main source of clean water has a significant potential of getting your sick too. However, this can be prevented with proper maintenance and making sure that your plumbing at home is in top working condition.
On top of bacteria and viruses that may be present in your water due to bad plumbing, other issues such as leaking gas, or sewage gas can make you sick. There are several health risks for a family that lives in a home with poor and improper plumbing. To avoid these, here are some of the most common health risks from bad plumbing and how you can prevent them.
Sewer Gases
Gas released from your sewer does not only smell bad, they are also bad for your health too. Blocked drains, clogs and back-ups are the most common cause of sewer gas being released from your drains. Even minor issues such as dry taps can also trigger these gases to enter your homes. If you keep these issues unattended, your home is at risk of getting sick or worse, gas poisoning. If you see blocked drain Sydney at your homes or if you have back-up and clog problems with your home plumbing, call your trusted blocked drain Sydney contractors to fix the problem immediately.
Sewer gases can also leak into your homes when there are leaks in the pipes and vents of your home plumbing. Cracked pipes are also potential culprits for sewer gases. They are at high risk for human waste exposure and may leak into your homes. Blocked air vents and dry plumbing can also potentially cause harmful gases to be released into your homes through the pipe systems.
Bacterial Infections
Bacteria can also enter drains and water systems in your home. Every time you wash something – hands, dishes, pets, and clothes, bacteria goes down the drain. Ideally, bacteria leave the drain system through the sewers. However, when the bacterial growth in the pipes is quite high, it can be a cause of health problems in your home.
When pipes are clogged, bacteria have a hard time passing through the sewer, when this occurs, an overgrowth can be observed in the pipes, causing smells that can be bad for the health. Water heating systems can be infested with bacteria too. When the temperature is too low, the chances of Legionella Pneumophila is high. This type of bacteria can cause bad infections and can be deadly in severe cases.
Lead Contamination
Old pipes made from older plumbing materials can cause contamination and poisoning. Although lead contamination is quite rare in most homes, outdated plumbing can potentially cause several problems in your water supply at home. Small amounts of leads can mix together with your drinking water. The human body has the capability to release lead naturally, however, too much build up in your body is quite dangerous and can cause lead poisoning.
If you are not sure with the age of your plumbing pipes, it would be best to have them checked by a professional plumber before thinking of completely replacing them. A plumber can expertly access the condition of your pipes and give you the best recommendation possible to prevent lead contamination issues.
Viruses, bacteria and other contaminants may enter your plumbing at home without you noticing. To prevent these issues from accelerating to bigger problems like health issues and poisoning at home, it would be best to have your local plumber to regularly check and maintain your home plumbing. It is also a best practice to sanitise areas that have been exposed to leaks to prevent bacteria and viruses from infecting your homes.
