How to Prevent Common Plumbing Problems

Problems with your plumbing systems can be inconvenient and expensive. Unfortunately, they’re also often specialized enough that calling a plumber is a necessity. If you want to save money, it’s not a good idea to go with less expensive plumbers or try to DIY your plumbing. Instead, you should focus on preventing plumbing problems from happening in the first place. Fortunately, plumbing problems are often the result of bad habits, so if you follow these steps your chances of costly repair is greatly lessened.

Minimize Use of Plumbing Cleaners

In order to keep your pipes clear and your toilet sparkling, many people use commercial or DIY plumbing cleaners. Research has shown, however, that overusing these cleaners has the potential to damage your pipes, causing large leaks and costly repairs. Since these cleaners are intended to strip material from the inside of the pipes, they can easily strip away the pipe itself if they are used too often, and they’re bad for the environment as well. Try to minimize your use of plumbing and drain cleaners to maximize the life of your pipes.

Don’t Trust “Flushable” Wipes

Some people are tempted by the advertising behind flushable wipes, whether because they see the wipes as easier to use or more comfortable. Unfortunately, flushable wipes don’t quite live up to their name, and flushing large amounts of them can easily clog your pipes. Unlike toilet paper, they take a long time to break down inside the drain. In order to keep so-called flushable wipes from clogging your toilet or ruining your septic tank, you should minimize the use of flushable wipes to 2 at a time or eliminate them altogether if possible.

Avoid Pouring Grease Down the Drain

Grease is one of those things that seems like it should be able to be put down the drain. It seems more liquid than solid and is unpleasant to have in your garbage cans. Unfortunately, grease sticks to pipes incredibly easily. Over time, this will cause your pipes to narrow and smaller bits of food to get stuck even more easily. You should find other ways of disposing of grease, such as putting it in a plastic bag before dumping it in your trash can or collecting it in jars for disposal.

Don’t Ignore Small Problems

The best way to avoid larger plumbing problems is to be proactive when it comes to fighting minor plumbing problems. While minor problems, such as a slow drain or small leak, might seem insignificant at first, they can grow over time or be a sign of a major issue deeper in your plumbing system. In addition, it’s often inexpensive to have a professional fix a minor problem, while a major problem can be a huge strain on your wallet. Save yourself the headache and take care of small plumbing problems instead of brushing them off as a simple annoyance.

 

It’s also important to know that areas outside the home can contribute to plumbing and leaking issues, too. For example, according to Geek Window Cleaning, a company that specializes in gutter cleaning in Houston, clogged gutters can create serious foundation problems and lead to wall and ceiling damage. On some properties, it can even clog sewage and lead to drainage issues.

Take Care of Your Drains

The easiest thing you can do to prevent a plethora of plumbing issues is to take care of your drains. What does this entail? You should keep your drains clear of anything that isn’t supposed to go down there, such as paint, large food bits, cosmetics, and other potentially clogging agents. You should also be sure to clear out your drain yourself regularly. This prevents small debris such as hair from accumulating and forming a major clot. Clearing all your drains on a regular basis will prevent many problems in the long run.

With these tips, you’ll be able to stop common plumbing problems from starting and save yourself money in the long run. Keep these tips in mind, and you won’t have to worry about sudden major plumbing problems, because you’ll already be taking care of your plumbing system like it deserves.