Plumbing is essential to keeping clean water flowing within and waste out of the home. Unfortunately, many don’t think about their plumbing until an issue requires costly repairs and creates an uncomfortable living environment.
Here are a few top tips for maintaining a healthy plumbing system.
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Inspect your pipes regularly
Your pipes are essential in providing clean water to your home while removing waste and sewage. If your plumbing system becomes damaged, this could compromise both family members’ health and safety — symptoms to look out for include slow-draining sinks, toilets, or bathtubs, foul smells, and increased water bills.
Regular inspection and maintenance help extend the lifespan of your plumbing system. Regular check-ups also minimize sewage backups, flooding, and shut-off valve failures resulting from poor maintenance practices.
Your inspector will check for signs of corrosion and rust that could reduce water quality, cause leakage issues, and ensure consistent pressure throughout the house. They will also evaluate water pressure.
Avoid clogs
Clogs may be inevitable occasionally, but they can be prevented with regular drain-cleaning strategies and intelligent decisions about what goes down your pipes. Clogged sink drains can create foul odors, slow water flow rates, and costly plumbing service calls.
Buildup from food particles, hair, soap scum, and other material adheres to pipe walls narrowing their paths as water passes through and eventually leading to complete blockages of your drainage system. Food waste should be kept out of your garbage disposal to avoid clogs, and an anti-clogging strainer should be added to your sink drains.
Know your water shut-off valve
When faced with a leakage, a pipe burst, or flooding issues, it’s crucial that the water supply be shut off quickly to minimize damage, contain the issue, and give time for help (if necessary) to arrive. Everyone should know where their main valve and any individual fixture shut-off valves can be found — these may appear as wheels you turn or levers you pull — for quick action during such emergencies.
Ideally, these should be clearly labeled and easily located during an emergency. To turn off a gate valve, align its handle perpendicular to the pipe; ball valves work differently by turning their knob clockwise to close. Regular inspection and testing for wear and tear should occur as their location can change based on how your home and plumbing are used, so keeping track of their status at all times is a great idea.
Be mindful of what you flush
One of the most prominent causes of clogged pipes and toilets is flushing items that should not be in your sewer system, such as hygiene products, “flushable” wipes or facial tissues. These items should be put into garbage cans rather than going down your toilet.
Cotton products such as cotton balls and swabs should never be flushed as they don’t degrade in water, instead expanding when exposed to it, potentially leading to blockages and obstructing your system.
Fatty acids and cooking grease are other significant factors contributing to blocked drains. These substances begin as liquid when warm and solidify quickly before attaching themselves to the inside lining of pipes, blocking other items from passing through and creating blockages that must be cleared through.
