Owning a home is scary these days. And your plumbing is haunting you from under your floors. So, grab a cozy blanket and join us as we explore the spooky side of home maintenance.

The wrong turn and water rushes everywhere.

It was Thanksgiving night, and the dishwasher wouldn’t start. I went under the sink, and there were three water valves: one for the faucet, one for the dishwasher, and one for the refrigerator ice maker. I traced the water lines to where they appeared to go and made an educated guess to turn off the water valve close to the dishwasher so I could try to repair it. I was wrong. I accidentally turned off the ice maker. I realized it as soon as water gushed all over the floor. Make sure to put a tag or identifier on your plumbing valves, and if doing work on an appliance, make sure to turn off the right valve or the master shut-off valve.

Cockroaches will wake you in the middle of the night if you rarely flush a toilet or floor drain.

The house had a small bathroom that wasn’t useful, so it wasn’t used, for several months… The water in the toilet evaporated and cockroaches found a new home. The cockroaches made a huge mess, and the toilet’s wax seal dried out, requiring a replacement. Set a reminder to pour a little water down drains or flush occasionally.

The Sourdough Monster that Broke the Dishwasher

So many people are enjoying the benefits of making their own sourdough recipes. Until the sourdough starter goes down the drain and forms a giant clog. Sourdough starter can harden in your pipes or your dishwasher, leading to costly repairs and replacements. Always scoop your discard into the trash to be safe.

Not cleaning your dishwasher filter will lead to a Ghoulish Gunk

Why is there a puddle and thick pink goo in the bottom of the dishwasher? It is easy to forget that your dishwasher has a filter and that it may need cleaning occasionally. Ignoring the filter will eventually lead to a nasty, smelly clog. Check with your owner’s manual on when and how to clean it.

The Noise is coming from inside the house!

Our son was home alone and called in a panic. There is someone upstairs! I heard them walking around and stopping for a bit, and then walking around again. My son’s brilliant decision was to grab a knife and attack the intruder. I persuaded him to stay where he was until I could get back. We could hear the walking sounds, and then it stopped. But it wasn’t an intruder, it was the washing machine wobbling and banging the wall. Make sure your loads are not too overloaded and that there is adequate space from the walls.

The trees are rooting for you!

Sure, the water drained slowly for a while, but that’s not a problem, right? I was running the laundry and the dishwasher, and all was fine until I heard a waterfall from the bathrooms. I tried the plunger and put towels on the floor to mop the water off the floor, but the water kept pouring out of the toilets. It was the tree roots that clogged my sewer drain and what made it worse was not realizing that the appliances were sending water down the drain only to pop up in the bathrooms.

Know where your sewer line exits your home and see if you have a cleanout. If you don’t have a cleanout, talk to a plumber about whether you may need one. Look at trees near your sewer line. If you experience frequent slow drains, consult with a plumber about possible solutions.

The drain cleaner ate my plumbing

You get busy and forget what you are doing until what you forgot costs $$$. Pouring drain cleaner chemicals down your drain to clear clogs can also damage your plumbing if done often, left in the plumbing without flushing it out on time, or if the directions are not followed correctly. The chemicals can weaken you pipes and seals. Know your pipe material and follow instructions precisely (set a timer). Consider alternatives to clearing a clog.

Drip drip drip from the attic

You hear a drip, a drip, another drip, a puddle. Oh, great. We have a roof leak in the rain, or is it something else? Don’t wait for the rain to stop; look in the attic. Scary place, I know, but your home has a sewer vent to help ghastly odors escape. If you have an old house, your sewer vent may be the source of the leak, either through corrosion of the pipe or where it comes through the roof.

The mail doesn’t come on Sundays?

The toilet was clogged, and we couldn’t get it to flush anymore. Finally, we called a plumber and they pulled out the blockage of envelopes. Yes, a previous renter clogged the toilet with the open envelopes from the mail.

Only toilet paper goes in the toilet. Everything else is trash or recycling.

Hear a noise, see a damp spot?

Don’t be scared. If you see water where it shouldn’t be, grab your flashlight and start investigating like Scooby Doo and the Mystery Gang.