What are the most common plumbing horror stories?
Burst pipes are very common. In cold weather, pipes can freeze and then burst when the ice thaws. Another common one is clogged drains. Hair, grease, and other debris can build up in drains over time. Also, sewer backups are a horror. Old pipes can be invaded by tree roots, causing the sewage to come back up into the house.
A frequent plumbing horror story is the discovery of hidden leaks. You might not notice a small leak in a wall or under the floor for a long time. By the time you do, there could be significant water damage, like rotting wood and mold growth. Another one is when the water heater breaks down unexpectedly. All of a sudden, you have no hot water, and if it leaks, it can flood the area around it. There are also cases where the plumbing in a new house is installed incorrectly, leading to all sorts of problems like low water pressure or constantly running toilets.
One of the most common plumbing horror stories is related to DIY plumbing gone wrong. People think they can fix a simple plumbing issue themselves but end up making it worse. For example, trying to tighten a pipe too much and cracking it. Also, having a foreign object stuck in the pipes, like a toy flushed by a child, can cause a blockage that's hard to remove. And in older buildings, the plumbing system might be so old and corroded that it starts to leak or break without any warning.