Home Plumbing Maintenance Tips

Plumbing problems can happen in any home, at any time. While some are unavoidable due to the wear and tear of different parts in your home plumbing, a lot of the clogging and bursting can be prevented by doing regular maintenance work on your pipes and drains and using common sense.

Follow these home plumbing maintenance tips to keep your plumbing fixtures in good condition.

• Be conscious of what you throw down the drain. Do not pour cooking oil down the kitchen sink because grease can solidify and build up on the drain and pipes. Use a drain screen to capture food debris, small jewelry, fiber, hair and other stuff that can clog the elbow of the drain.
• Although there are plenty of tissue paper brands that claim to dissolve fast, avoid flushing any paper product down the toilet, most especially diapers, baby wipes and feminine napkins.
• Once you notice that sink and bath water are not clearing out as fast as it should, pour a chemical-based drain cleaner or lots of boiling water down the sluggish drain before it becomes completely clogged.
• Install washing machines on an overflow tray to direct possible overflow to a drain. Replace old, cracked hoses and tighten loose connections.
• Do not plug the tub overflow drain to increase the amount of water the tub will hold. The tub emergency overflow drain must remain open at all times.
• Before winter arrives turn-off the water supply to outdoor spigots to keep the pipes empty. Water that is left in the lines can freeze come winter and cause pipes to burst. Garden hoses should also be disconnected from the spigots.
• If you have exposed pipes in the garage, crawl space or basement, wrap them with pipe insulation so they don’t burst in cold weather. Insulation also keeps the pipes warm so you don’t consume too much energy when heating the water for use inside the house.
• If you are going on a long vacation in the winter, turn the heat way down but leave it on. You should also leave kitchen and cabinet doors open so heat can reach the pipes to avoid freezing.
• Place the water heater on a tray to direct possible leaks to a drain. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, secure the water heater to the wall.
• As soon as you discover moisture in places that should be dry, immediately look for leaks and repair them before they become bigger problems.
• Make sure that you know where the main shutoff valve is located in your home or street so you can turn off the water if a pipe suddenly bursts.
• Keep a plunger handy for emergency situations such as toilet or sink clogs.

Although damage to your property as a result of a plumbing disaster may be covered by insurance, you will most likely have to shoulder the cost of repairing or replacing the broken plumbing fixture. Following these basic home plumbing maintenance tips can help prevent massive water damage and other inconvenient home plumbing problems. Call Plumber Medford Oregon and get your plumbing estimate today!