Whether you are a homeowner or landlord, plumbing problems can turn into big headaches quickly. Leaks, clogs, and other issues can cause significant water damage or create unhealthy mold or mildew.
Regular maintenance can help prevent these issues and prolong the life of your pipes. Here are some plumbing maintenance tips to keep your lines in tip-top shape:
Inspect Your Pipes Regularly
It’s not the same as getting your heart checked by a cardiologist, but your pipes are still subject to wear and tear, and the damage could be catastrophic. If you have regular inspections, they can stay intact and function correctly at the worst possible time.
The best way to catch a problem is by letting a Dallas plumbing company inspect your system. They will be able to look for any cracks or leaks you might not see and help you keep your home’s water safe from contamination.
They can also check for drain blockages, which are most common in the kitchen and bathroom. It takes a while for the residue to build up to the point where a blockage forms, and it can be challenging to spot on your own.
A professional can check for signs of a blockage, including puddles under sinks, and tell you what to do next. They can also help you avoid causing more blockages by teaching you how to clean your pipes and appliances regularly and by ensuring that nothing is dumping into your toilets or drains that shouldn’t be there.
A regular plumbing inspection can also save you money. The number one insurance claim for homeowners is water damage caused by plumbing situations. An inspection can catch problems like leaks and clogs before they get out of hand, saving you a lot of money in repair costs.
Clean the Pipes Regularly
The plumbing system is often under the radar until something goes wrong, but it’s essential to take preventative measures to ensure everything runs smoothly. Regularly cleaning your pipes helps reduce the corrosion rate and keep your drains free of clogs and debris.
There are a few ways to clean your pipes, but it’s best to avoid harsh chemicals since they can damage the pipes and affect the water quality. Instead, you can use a natural method like boiling water or pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain to break up clogs.
Another essential thing to do is to be careful about what you flush down the toilet. A toilet is not a trash can; the only things you should be washing down there are human waste and toilet paper. Anything else, such as food waste, hair, cotton swabs, and grease, can build into solid masses that block the plumbing line.
Installing a screen or mesh on your sinks and bathroom drains is also a good idea, as these can catch rogue hair and other small materials. You should also be cautious about what you put down the kitchen sink, as putting any oily residue down the drain can cause it to thicken and clog the pipe.
Install a Screen or Mesh on Sinks and Bathroom Drains
Drains are essential for our everyday lives, but they can also be a source of frustration when they constantly clog. This can drive you to use them less and less, which can lead to severe issues down the line. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to keep your drains reliable.
The best way to protect your drains from contaminants is to install a screen or mesh on each. While this may not prevent everything from going down your gutters, it will catch a lot of it and allow you to remove it before it goes down your pipes. This will help prevent some of the most common drain clogs, including hair, soap scum, and food particles.
A mesh screen for bathroom sinks will help prevent hair particles and other items from getting into the drain and reduce the amount of soap residue in your shower or bathtub drain pipe. This will reduce the need for residential plumbing services to clean your gutters or drains.
For your toilets, it is essential never to flush sanitary products, diapers, baby wipes, or other materials not intended for bathrooms down the drain. These can clog your toilet and the entire drain line. You can help prevent this by getting into the habit of pouring five gallons of hot water down each bathroom once a month. This will loosen up any clogs and make your toilet more hygienic.
Throw Away Debris Regularly
A clogged drain is one of the most common plumbing problems homeowners experience, and it can result in significant water damage. Luckily, it is also one of the easiest to fix issues. An inexpensive way to prevent clogs is by pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain. You can also keep your drains smelling fresh by adding lemon peelings to the mix.
Kitchen drains often clog due to food waste, oil, and other substances that shouldn’t be in the drain system. Instead of using your garbage disposal, which can cause clogs, put food waste in a resealable plastic bag to throw away when complete. Oil should never be dumped down the drain, even with a garbage disposal unit, as it can thicken and block the pipes.
Leaks are another common problem, leading to extensive water damage and high water bills. Make it a habit to check under sinks, around the water heater, and behind appliances for puddles and signs of leaking pipes.
Finally, it’s essential to have your pipes inspected by a professional plumber regularly. This can catch minor issues, such as corrosion and cracking before they become a big problem. In addition, they can inspect exposed pipes and determine if you need to add insulation or replace them altogether.
