3 Useful Plumbing Maintenance Tips
Overview: Every homeowner experiences plumbing problems every now and then. Here are a few tried-and-true tips for you to follow to maintain the plumbing in your home!
One of the most important aspects of owning a home is keeping up with maintenance. That includes taking care of your plumbing system and ensuring that there are no areas that could cause issues. Your home’s plumbing is an intricate system that involves many different pipes and connections. The easy access to fresh water and sanitation that plumbing provides can be easy to take for granted… until something unexpectedly goes wrong with it!
Taking care of your own plumbing system can be intimidating if you’re not an old pro, but it’s not rocket science. You don’t need to worry about solving major plumbing problems yourself — but you can take some smart steps to avoid leaks, broken or rusted pipes, and clogs. And remember that the places that get the most rust, and result in risks to your plumbing system’s health are usually the toilet and drainage systems.
These plumbing maintenance tips will help keep your system in good shape, so you’re less likely to face headaches and inconvent problems in the future.
Don’t Flush Everything:
You’ve probably heard these words of wisdom before, but allow us to repeat them: Your toilet bowl is not a trash can. Items like sanitary napkins, paper towels, cotton swabs, hair, or plastic will cause clogs and obstruct your pipes. You don’t want that, do you? The only thing you should flush down is waste and toilet paper.
Unless you really want a plumber to drop by to pull a nasty surprise out of your plumbing system, don’t do it. Keep a wastebasket near your toilet and use it. And if you have kids, make sure they’re not playing any games of “Will It Flush?”
Clean Out Slow Moving Drains:
Are you noticing slow moving drain in your toilet? It happens because of a combination of soap scum, hair, and other small particles accumulating in the drain walls. If you catch the problem in time, you may be able to take care of it before you have to call a professional. Removing and cleaning your stopper may be enough to fix the problem.
If that doesn’t work, try a DIY solution by making a simple mixture of baking soda and vinegar — an inexpensive but often effective method to clear those stubborn drains. If these tips don’t work for you, there’s likely a deeper clog that can be located and removed only by a professional plumber.
Don’t Clean Your Drainage System with Toxic Cleaners:
To avoid long-term issues with your pipes, avoid using toxic cleaners! Some commercial plumbing products are only partially effective, and regular usage of these chemicals can reduce the longevity of your pipes.
For minor clogs, you may try pouring boiling lemon/vinegar water down the pipe. Remember that steel pipes can handle higher temperatures than PVC pipes, so use the boiling water only if you have a steel plumbing system.
For more serious drainage problems, hire a professional plumber to snake the drain for hair, clogs, or grease.
In Summary:
If you want to reduce the risk of worsening clogs and prolong the life of your plumbing system, these maintenance tips should help prevent bigger problems from happening in the future.
But what should you do if you’re beyond the point of preventive maintenance? If you’re stuck with a damaged or corroded piping system, you might need some serious repairs or even replacement. If you’re in need of knowledgeable, trustworthy plumbers to come to the rescue, contact Pipe-It-Right. We have years of experience in the industry, and you can rely on us solve your plumbing quandaries!
