Preventative Plumbing Maintenance Tips To Know

Your home’s plumbing is a complex system that brings in fresh water, heats it up, and distributes it throughout your home. It is easy to take water and sanitation for granted, until something goes wrong. There are some easy ways you can keep your system running even if the unexpected happens.

1. Flushed Away? Your toilet is designed to only handle what is supposed to go in it and down to the sewer line. That means no flushing of other bathroom trash such as Q-tips, cotton pads, cardboard, plastic trash, hair, and sanitary products. Even those “flushable wipes” can cause a major blockage that will have you spending big bucks on a plumber. Do yourself a favor and put a wastebasket in the bathroom.

2. If you suspect that your toilet tank is leaking into the bowl, the easiest DIY test you can do is drop some red food coloring into the tank and see if the color shows up in the bowl. If you do find color has seeped into the bowl, replace the flapper valve inside of the tank.

3. If your shower spray has become less than invigorating, you may have mineral deposits that have clogged the showerhead. Unscrew the showerhead and soak them in vinegar for 24 hours to try to get the deposits cleaned out. If the showerhead is too clogged up, you may need to replace it.

4. Drip, drip, drip. Facet water leaks can waste up to 180 gallons of water per week. That’s a waste of not only water but your money is going down the drain. You’ll want to check the faucets, showerheads, and handles for leaks regularly.

5. Don’t forget about the outside plumbing when temperatures drop. Shut off your outdoor fixtures, drain and insulate the outside faucets and bibs, disconnect and drain any hoses. Depending on where you live, you may need to winterize your in-ground sprinkler system to avoid any broken pipes.