Plumbing problems are bad enough of their own—they can make it impossible to get basic daily chores done, they can damage parts of the house, they leak water, they create unpleasant odors. But they can get worse—they can lead to mold, which makes everything that much worse. Mold is ugly to look at, creates awful smells, weakens building material, and can create toxic mold spores that lead to asthma and other respiratory problems. (The dreaded Stachybotrys chartarum, the black mold that often develops from water damage).
A great plumber in Portales, NM can help rescue you from the plumbing issues most likely to cause mold growth. The sooner you move to correct these problems, the less chance you’ll be dealing with some moldy consequences.
The Hidden Leak
This is the biggest mold-causing problem for a house, because hidden leaks are, well, hidden. It’s not easy for you to know when there’s a leak in a pipe in the ceiling or a wall. Even the smallest leak can create damp conditions that will create mold. Keep a watch for warning signs of these leaks: discolored spots on the walls or ceiling (especially under the bathroom), high water bills, the water heater turning on at odd times. We also recommend having leak detection done as a precaution every few years.
Leaking Under the Sink
Another easy one to miss. If you have a crowded storage space under your bathroom or kitchen sinks, you may miss dripping water coming from above. This may be from damage to the drainpipe, the feed line, or leaking spots around the sink mount. Mold can develop here fast.
Stagnant Water From Clogged and Slow Drains
Chalk up another problem clogged and slow drains cause. If you allow a clogged drain to hang around for too long, or let standing water gather in the shower while it takes a looooong time for the water to drain out, you’re sending mold an invitation. And you can expect it to RSVP “yes” if you don’t have the drains unclogged.
Flooding of Any Kind
We can’t emphasize how important it is to have professionals on the job as fast as you can get them when you have flooding from a broken pipe, an overflowing toilet, or anything else. You may stop the water flow quickly (this is why you need to know where the water main shut-off valve is), but unless the water is quickly removed and the issue fixed, the water will start to seep down into construction material and become difficult to remove. The mold damage that results may require extensive remediation services to remove.
Thankfully, living in New Mexico, you won’t have to deal with moisture in the basement as a mold problem. Because you probably don’t have a basement. (Winter temperatures here don’t require burying the pipes down below the frost line, so there’s rarely a need for basements.) But if you encounter any of these other problems, let our licensed plumbers help you out and keep mold from becoming yet another trouble.
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