For many people, when to call a plumber seems like it would be an obvious decision. After all, if you’ve got a burst pipe, a stopped toilet, or standing water, it would seem to follow that a call to the plumber is the logical next step, and you’d be right about that. But what many people don’t realize is that plumbing problems aren’t always that obvious. Sometimes, your house can have small plumbing problems that aren’t visible or seem to be so minor that they’re forgotten about. However, letting these small problems linger can cause them to turn into serious problems down the road. Here are a few instances where a small problem is a sign of something that’s bigger than you think.

Your Faucet Is Dripping

How much damage could a dripping faucet really cause when it’s just a drop or two at a time? Surely it’s not enough to force you to have to search for a plumber in Elmira NY, right? Actually, a slow drip can quickly turn into a massive headache—as well as a hole in your wallet. One drip per second can cause a home to waste 3,000 gallons of water in one year, and that’s just from one faucet. If multiple faucets have the same problem, you could easily be looking at an extra $50-100 a year on your water bill, which can really eat away at your budget over time.

Even if you’ve got the ability to withstand that kind of cash drain, a dripping faucet could be a sign of a serious problem with your pipes. Normal faucets don’t have that kind of problem, and if the leak is something that’s been going on for a while, there’s a pretty good chance that the problem is with your pipes rather than your faucet. If you try to pinpoint a small problem yourself, you might end up creating a larger problem that requires a professional fix. It’s far better to make sure that you’ve got the job done right.

Your Pipes Have Frozen

Frozen pipes are an absolute nightmare to a homeowner. When a pipe freezes, it’s only a matter of time before something serious occurs. When living in the northeast, frozen pipes are always a serious concern, and they’re not something to wait on calling a plumber to fix. If a pipe does crack or burst, you’re going to have a mess on your hands and an extensive repair job. As soon as you notice something wrong with your pipes, it’s time to get a professional on the job.

Your Water Isn’t Flowing Correctly

Whether it’s a problem with the water pressure or a problem with a faucet, if the water flow isn’t happening the way that you know it should, it’s time to bring in a professional to help get things back to normal. If you notice it happening in one area, that’s a great time to call in a professional to help you determine whether you merely need to clean out the faucet or whether you’ve got a problem with your pipes. The sooner you pinpoint the problem, the easier it will be to find a simple solution.

Not all water-related jobs require the services of a professional plumber, but if you’ve got something that can lead to a serious issue, that’s the time to call for help.