We hardly notice plumbing systems when they are working fine, but once it is damaged or inefficient, problems in our plumbing system cause significant setbacks in our day-to-day routine, finances, and even the longevity of our house’s structure.
This is why properly and actively maintaining your home’s plumbing system and protecting it from water damage is one of the best time and money-saving solutions you can make today. Regular maintenance and giving your plumbing extra time and attention will prolong its life, protect it from water leaks, and help you avoid hefty plumbing repairs.
This article walks you through some simple tips to help protect your home against water damage and maintain the integrity of your plumbing system.
Call for regular check-ups
One of the simplest ways to ensure your plumbing system is in proper shape, as well as prevent minor plumbing issues from becoming an even bigger headache, is to have an expert plumber regularly check your home’s plumbing system.
Since plumbing systems are often hidden from plain sight, emerging problems are usually not as noticeable to regular homeowners at first. This is why having an expert regularly inspect your home for leaks, clogs, or other potential causes of water damage helps ensure you get proper preventive maintenance, ultimately helping you save money in the long run.
Fortunately, you do not have to search high and low to find reliable, affordable, and high-quality plumbing service providers nowadays. For instance, Shelton Plumbing has licensed plumbers available on-call 24/7 in case you need immediate inspection or home service. These on-call services include plumbing repair and maintenance, drain and sewer cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, as well as plumbing services for kitchen and bathroom remodeling.
Properly dispose of buildup-prone waste
Rice, oil, grease, food debris, and other waste prone to building up over time are some of the most notorious culprits in clogged drains. Any waste that can harden and cause eventual blockage in your pipes should be disposed of properly and not flushed down the drain so that you can save yourself from the massive hassle of dirty water puddling up.
To dispose of these wastes, using a drain strainer can be a simple yet effective solution to preventing potential blockages from getting stuck in your pipes. Drain strainers can help filter hair, soap, food debris, and other wastes so your pipes are free from these buildup hazards.
Regularly cleaning out your drain strainer makes for easier cleanup. This is one of the easiest tips to keep your drainage system healthier for longer. Simply collect the waste collected from your strainer to dispose of it in the trash separately.
However, drain strainers are ineffective for oil and grease, which are equally hazardous for your pipes. To dispose of these, it is best to store used oil and grease in a container and then dump it in the trash instead of flushing it down the drain.
Avoid dumping harsh chemicals in clogged pipes
When dealing with clogged drains, one of the most common missteps is using over-the-counter drain cleaners. While these products may seem to solve your immediate problem, they can cause long-term damage to your pipes.
In essence, drain cleaners are designed to dissolve buildups in your pipes, such as hair, grease, and other blockages. These harsh chemicals can eventually corrode and eat away at your plastic or even metal pipes, causing even bigger problems such as water leaks or cracked pipes.
Aside from corrosion, over-the-counter drain cleaners can also cause health hazards. Once poured, it can release fumes that may be dangerous to your lungs, eyes, nose, and throat. Also, since these harsh chemicals get flushed through your pipe, their eventual release to public waterways might also contribute to the contamination of our drinking water.
Although you can always opt for milder but still effective alternatives, such as vinegar with baking soda, calling an expert plumber is still the best solution for these cases.
To wrap it up
Just like how water is central to our lives, the plumbing system is one of the most understated foundations of each home. Ensuring you have correctly installed and quality plumbing is worth its weight in gold in terms of money, time, and especially peace of mind.
Even though you can always opt for the DIY route, calling in for an expert, especially for major plumbing repairs, is still of the safest and best investments you can make. It helps avoid expensive rework or, worse, additional fixes due to a chain reaction of these plumbing problems.
Remember, it is always better to prevent issues than to fix them. The above tips are just some of the many simple, easy, yet effective maintenance techniques to keep your plumbing system efficient and protect your home from nasty water damage.
