How to Extend the Life of Your Piping System
A home’s plumbing system is a complex network of pipes that run throughout the house, and under the ground out to the street where it connects to the city’s water supply.
Many property owners wait for major emergencies to happen before they call a plumber to solve their plumbing issues, but this can lead to higher repair and replacement bills.
They instead need to call on a plumbing professional to inspect the plumbing regularly. However, there are certain simple preventative measures that you, as the homeowner, can take with your plumbing system to minimize the amount of problems or damage.
Inspect for Leaks
Inspect all visible pipes for leaks regularly. You should check at the joints where pipes meet each other or a water-using appliance such as a washing machine, water heater, or automatic dishwasher. Notice if the faucets are leaking once, you turn the water off as this could be a sign that washers need replacing.
In addition, if a wet spot appears on a wall, this could be a sign of a leaky pipe inside the wall. Inspect all throughout the house at least once each year to prevent major water damage such as structural damage from occurring, and to avoid mold growth.
Prevent Clogs in Your Drains
Fats, oils, and food scraps are the main reasons for clogs in the kitchen drains. Over time, these elements will accumulate on the walls of the pipes, and this will close the opening to where the water cannot drain from the sink. Instead, deposit these elements in your garbage bin.
Bits of hair can accumulate in the bathroom drains. Throw cut hair into the trash instead of letting it accumulate in your bathroom drain. To avoid clogs in toilets, be careful to only flush toilet paper down them and then in limited amounts at one time. Baby wipes, diapers, tampons, paper towels are not flushable items.
Understand What to Do in an Emergency
You should know where to turn the water off at the back of the toilet, under the sinks, behind the washing machine, or even at the water main in the event of an emergency.
By being able to turn the water off at the appropriate place when there is a leak or other issue, you can minimize the amount of damage that occurs in your home.
On top of the above tips, you can extend the life of your plumbing, piping system by calling our professional company to inspect your system. We will check your water heater, pipes and joints, and all plumbing fixtures to discover present issues.
During this inspection, we can repair minor issues, or schedule an appointment in case a complex repair or replacement is necessary.
Want to extend the life of your home piping system? Call NixCo Plumbing at (513) 398-5907 to find out ways to extend the life of your pipes.