Maintaining your home's plumbing system is essential for keeping the water flowing clean and eliminating waste from your home. To ensure that your plumbing system is working properly, there are certain maintenance measures you should take in each season. To begin with, switch from bar soap to body wash. This will help keep your drains clear and prevent clogs.
Additionally, make sure to keep cooking grease and oils out of the drains. After washing dishes, run hot water down the kitchen drain to flush out any remaining food particles. Installing mosquito nets over shower and bath drains can also help prevent clogs, as well as pulling out as much hair as you can every few weeks. Scraping food in the trash before washing dishes is also important, even if you have a garbage disposal.
Never throw liquid grease down the drain; instead, pour it into a resealable container to put in the trash after it cools down. Avoid blockages by watching what slips down the drains; this means keeping leftover food out of kitchen drains, hair out of bathroom drains, and anything other than human waste and toilet paper out of toilets. Installing inexpensive mesh drain covers on showers, tubs and sinks can also help prevent clogs. If your home is over 30 years old, it's a good idea to have your plumbing inspected. Replacing pipes before a complete failure occurs will prevent costly damage.
If you don't know where the shutoff valves are located, you can ask your local plumber for help locating them. An efficient and smoothly running plumbing system allows you to have clean, fresh water as close by as the faucet and warm water to keep your home and family clean. By following this checklist, you can save on energy costs, conserve water, and keep your home's plumbing system working properly. Good pipe maintenance can help avoid serious problems and extend the life of your plumbing system. If you have municipal sewer lines, hiring a plumber to do the main wastewater cleaning every few years is a good investment.
While you may not have time to maintain your plumbing system or you may not want that extra expense, regular maintenance saves you time and money in the long run. If your water is high in minerals, known as hard water, it can shorten the life of your pipes. To combat this issue, consider installing a water softener or other filtration system to reduce mineral buildup in your pipes. Additionally, make sure to check for any leaks or corrosion in your pipes regularly. Finally, it's important to remember that taking care of your home's plumbing is essential for conserving water for future generations. Malfunctioning plumbing parts can cause more costly problems in the future and waste money in the meantime.
By following these tips for maintaining plumbing pipes, you can save on energy costs and extend the life of your plumbing system.
