Some signs that your home needs a plumber may be obvious; a drip coming from the ceiling or a flooded basement are often urgent plumbing issues that shouldn't be ignored. However, some other signs that your home has a leaking pipe or other such plumbing problem may not be as noticeable or obvious. Note a few of those signs here so you know when to call a plumber and keep your home in good repair.

It smells musty, moldy, or like mildew

Don't overlook the fact that your nose can often detect mold or mildew even when it can't be seen, and don't assume that it's just normal for your home. Even in the tropics, the inside of your home shouldn't smell like mildew or have a musty odor; this usually means that mold is forming behind the walls, or you have standing water in your home and it's becoming musty. If you can't find the source of the smell, leave it to your plumber as they can often find leaks and standing water very easily.

Loose tile

In the bathroom or kitchen, very old tile may have grout or adhesive that is simply cracking or becoming brittle due to age. This tile may have also been installed with the wrong type of adhesive so that it eventually comes away from the subfloor or material underneath it. However, loose tile is also a sign of a water leak in the home; this water is getting absorbed by the subfloor or other such materials and is loosening the grout or adhesive under the tile. Even if it feels like the tile is slightly shifting and isn't actually loose underfoot, have a plumber check for leaks or loose pipe connectors in that area.

Constant clogs

Clogs in the bathtub, sinks, and toilets of a home are not uncommon, but they shouldn't be happening every day. This is especially true if you use a trap to catch hair in the bathtub and don't overload the toilet with tissue. If your home does have constant clogs, this might mean that a pipe is damaged and you don't have proper water pressure; in toilets and the sinks, this can mean not enough pressure to push solid matter down the pipes, so it causes a clog. In the bathtub, a damaged pipe might allow in sediment so that water cannot flow past it and the drain clogs. In these cases, a plumber can find the source of the clogs and repair the pipe in question so that water is always flowing freely.