Top 10 Plumbing Tips

Top 10 Plumbing Tips CREATED BY JESSICA CULVER

1. Don’t Pour Grease or Oil Down the Drain The grease and oil will build up. You won’t notice it at first – you’ll think it’s totally fine, and that as a liquid, down the sink is where it should go. But little by little that grease and oil will clog your pipes and leave you with some serious plumbing problems.

2. Use A Strainer Clogs are one of the most common plumbing problems, and when it comes to a shower or sink drain, it can become gross and messy thanks to hair and soap residue. Avoiding the icky is as simple as using a basket strainer. This will help prevent a time- consuming and unpleasant task in the future.

3. Watch What You Flush There are certain things that should be flushed and certain things that should definitely not be flushed. We’re pretty sure you catch our meaning. If you start flushing things other than toilet paper and bodily waste down the toilet, you could cause some serious clogs that we’re betting you really don’t want to deal with.

4. Know Where Your Main Water Valve Is Plumbing isn’t one of the things that you actively learn about, but it is important to know where your main water valve is and what to do if there is an issue. If you don’t know where it is, you’re going to spend a lot of time scrambling while your home sustains significant water damage.

5. Make Sure Your Main Sewer Drain Is Accessible While your plumbing is normally out of sight, it is important that your main sewer drain is always free and clear. This is because in case of a sewage line blockage, we need to be able to move quickly and efficiently. Your drain access point should be uncovered (that means no rugs or carpeting) and easy to get to – no maze of holiday decorations or old children’s toys to contend with.

6. Prevent Your Plumbing From Freezing While not a problem in the summer, once winter rolls around temperatures are going to take a dive. Once they get low enough, your plumbing will have an increased risk of freezing. One of the best plumbing tips we can give you is to make sure that your always have air circulating through your home, and that is at a minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius. You should also insulate as many of the outside wall plumbing lines as possible to avoid potential catastrophes.

7. Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners Chemical drain cleaners are straight up awful when it comes to the health and wellbeing of your plumbing. People tend to go for them because they are advertised as immediately effective, but they can do more damage in the long run.

8. Consider Separate Shut Off Valves on Your Fixtures Your plumbing is going to need repair eventually; it’s inevitable. No doubt you’re not looking forward to the day when you have to shut all of your water off so someone can come and do the work. We have a way around that. Installing separate shut off valves on your fixtures will eliminate the all water or no water problem, because you’ll be able to turn off the water to different parts of the house when you need to.

9. Prolong Your Tap’s Life This is actually bad for your tap’s seal; it wears it out more quickly because of the increased pressure it is experiencing every time it is turned to tight. Think of it like a pencil; the more pressure you put on it, the more worn down it gets. To avoid this, turn the tap until you feel the natural stopping point; don’t force it closed. Like the pencil, you want to apply the amount of pressure that is just right.

10. We’re There When Things Happen You can take all the preventative measures in the world, but like anything else, time will take a toll on your plumbing. You’re eventually going to have a problem.

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