It is rightly said that plumbing is a great way to improve the quality of life in your home so it is very important to take care of the home plumbing system. So, here are some simple tips to keep your plumbing system in tip top shape.
It is very important for each member of the family to know how to shut off the water supply. Everyone should be aware of the position of the main water supply valve as well as water valves of individual fixtures like kitchen sink, toilets, water heater etc. This is important because during any plumbing failure like bursting of pipe, overflow toilet tank etc, the first thing to do, is to shut off the water supply to prevent any further damage.
You must keep a regular check on the drains so as to prevent clogs which is one of the most common plumbing issue faced by home owners. So treat your drains monthly. You can run plenty of hot water down the drains to clean it or you can use chemical drain cleaners and plumbing tools. But make sure that the chemicals used should be safe for your plumbing system. You can also go for products like Bio-clean.
Never flush anything down the toilet except toilet paper. That includes facial tissue, Q-tips and even products labeled “flushable. Newer, low-flush models are more easily clogged with paper and “flushable” cleaning products.
Dont treat your garbage disposal as a replacement for your trash can. Run plenty of cold water while using your disposal to prevent clogs. If you don’t have a garbage disposal, keep out food scraps and grease, which can build up in layers in pipes until they’re blocked.
Whenever you plan to take up any new plumbing project or a remodeling project, apart from the installation services, there are certain other important things that you should know and consider- In colder regions pipes can freeze which can lead to a lot of troubles so to prevent this, it is always better to have the shut-off valve inside the house rather than having it on the outer wall. This should be used for the external garden faucets.
Insulating pipes is a nice option for colder climates because ice can cause pipes to burst. Often it can be a simple do-it-yourself job. Look for thermal foam pipe protectors at your local hardware store. Simply cut to size and fit around the pipes.
Another good option can be an insulating water heater. Its like an additional protection which will minimize the heat loss.