Most plumbing problems don’t announce themselves politely. They show up as a toilet that won’t stop running at 2 a.m., a drain that’s suddenly draining in slow motion, or a shower that’s gone stone cold halfway through. The good news is that many of these issues have a clear cause — and knowing what you’re looking at helps you decide whether it’s a quick fix or a call to the pros.
Here are eight of the most common plumbing problems we see in homes across Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, what usually causes them, and how to tell when it’s time to bring in help.
1. A Toilet That Keeps Running
A running toilet is the single most common plumbing complaint out there, and it’s more than just annoying — a toilet that runs constantly can quietly waste hundreds of gallons of water a day.
The usual culprit is inside the tank: a worn flapper that no longer seals, a float set too high, or a fill valve that won’t shut off. Lift the tank lid and watch what happens after a flush. If the flapper isn’t sealing or water keeps trickling into the overflow tube, those are your suspects.
When to call a pro: If replacing the flapper doesn’t fix it, or the problem keeps coming back, there may be a deeper issue with the valve or the toilet itself that’s worth having looked at.
2. A Slow or Clogged Drain
A slow drain is your plumbing waving a warning flag. It rarely fixes itself, and it usually gets worse. In kitchens, the buildup is typically grease and food; in bathrooms, it’s hair and soap scum.
A plunger or a drain snake can clear many surface clogs. What we’d steer you away from is reaching for chemical drain cleaners as a habit — they’re hard on your pipes over time and often just push the problem down the line.
When to call a pro: If multiple drains are slow at once, or a clog keeps returning, that often points to a blockage deeper in your main line — something a camera inspection can pinpoint quickly.
3. A Leaky Faucet
That steady drip is easy to tune out, but it adds up fast on your water bill and can signal worn parts inside the faucet. Most drips come from a worn washer, O-ring, or cartridge — inexpensive parts that wear out with everyday use.
When to call a pro: If the leak is coming from the base of the faucet rather than the spout, or if you’re dealing with corroded fixtures common in older coastal homes, it’s often faster and cleaner to have it handled professionally.
4. Low Water Pressure
When your shower suddenly loses its punch, low water pressure is usually the cause. Sometimes it’s simple — a clogged aerator on a single faucet that just needs cleaning. When it affects the whole house, though, the causes range from sediment buildup to a pressure regulator problem to a hidden leak somewhere in your system.
When to call a pro: House-wide low pressure is worth investigating, especially here on the coast where mineral and sediment buildup is common. It can also be an early sign of a leak you’ll want to catch before it does damage.
5. No Hot Water
Few things get your attention faster than a cold shower. If you’ve got no hot water at all, the issue is almost always your water heater — a tripped breaker, a failed heating element, a pilot light that’s out, or a unit that’s simply reached the end of its life.
When to call a pro: Water heaters involve electricity or gas, so this isn’t a DIY zone beyond checking the breaker. If your unit is more than 10–12 years old, runs out of hot water quickly, or you spot any water pooling around its base, have it inspected sooner rather than later.
6. A Garbage Disposal That Won’t Work
When a disposal goes silent or just hums, it’s usually one of a few things. A hum with no spinning typically means it’s jammed. Total silence often means it’s tripped its reset button — there’s a small red button on the underside of most units that resets it.
When to call a pro: If resetting and clearing a jam doesn’t bring it back, or if it’s leaking, the unit likely needs to be repaired or replaced rather than coaxed back to life.
7. A Sewer or Rotten-Egg Smell
A persistent sewer smell in your home is one problem you shouldn’t ignore. Sometimes it’s a dried-out drain trap in a rarely used sink or bathroom — running water into that drain for a minute can refill the trap and solve it. But a lingering sewer odor can also point to a venting issue or a break somewhere in your drain line.
When to call a pro: If the smell sticks around after refilling your traps, it’s worth a professional look. Sewer gas isn’t something you want circulating through your home.
8. A Gurgling Toilet
If your toilet gurgles or bubbles when it’s not in use — especially when you run a nearby sink or the washing machine drains — it’s often a sign of a venting or partial-blockage issue in your drain system. It’s easy to shrug off, but it can be an early warning of a developing main-line clog.
When to call a pro: Recurring gurgling is worth investigating before it turns into a full backup.
Why Coastal Homes See These Issues a Little More
Living on the Grand Strand is wonderful, but it does put extra demands on your plumbing. Humidity and salt air are tough on fixtures, sandy soil and high water tables affect drainage, and hard water leaves mineral deposits that clog aerators and shorten the life of water heaters. None of it is cause for alarm — it just means a little attention goes a long way toward keeping small annoyances from becoming real problems.
Know When to Call — and When to Relax
A lot of minor plumbing issues really are DIY-friendly, and there’s no reason to call a plumber to swap a flapper or clean an aerator. But the smartest thing any homeowner can do is recognize the difference between a quick fix and an early warning sign. Catching the warning signs early is what keeps a small repair from becoming a big one.
When You’d Rather Leave It to the Pros
Whenever a problem is beyond a simple fix — or you’d just rather not spend your Saturday under the sink — At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air is here for homeowners across Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand. From stubborn drains to water heaters on their last legs, we’ll diagnose the real problem and fix it right the first time.
Give us a call, and let us take it from here.
