Tips for Maintaining Your Home’s Plumbing System

Keep Your Plumbing System on Track

Nobody wants to deal with plumbing issues. There is nothing worse than a clogged toilet on a weekend or a hot shower that suddenly turns frigid mid-shampoo. Many times, a plumbing problem was caused by a simple incident, such as flushing the wrong item down the toilet or a build-up of grease clogging the kitchen sink. To save yourself from the headaches and expense of an after-hours or emergency plumbing call, here are some preventive maintenance tips.

Check for Leaks

A small drip-drip-drip of the kitchen sink may be annoying, but also expensive. Those little drips add up and cost money. Make it a habit to regularly check all sinks, toilets, exposed pipes, and appliances for leaks. If you notice water spots on your ceiling or walls, they can signal an interior leak. Ignoring leaks only leads to more expensive problems and even structural damage to your home. There are water leak detectors that you can install. They will alert you to leaks, and some models will automatically shut off the water supply until the leak is repaired. If you can't find a leak, you can call for leak location services to stop the flow of water.

Avoid Clogs

Clogged pipes are not only a nuisance but can also seriously damage your pipes and fixtures. The only acceptable materials to flush down the toilet are human waste and toilet paper. This means no feminine hygiene products, disposable diapers, cigarette butts, hair, cat litter, and anything else. In the kitchen, drain grease and oil into a separate container for disposal in the trash, and in the bathroom, try to keep hair out of the drain. You can find hair catchers to install in your shower drain that will capture loose hair before it can get into the pipes and cause clogs.

Insulate Pipes

During the winter, nothing is worse than frozen pipes. Frozen pipes expand as the water freezes, which can crack and burst the pipes. This is a nightmare to clean up and repair. To prevent this, insulate your indoor and outdoor pipes. There are many products available to wrap your pipes, including foam, fiberglass, and rubber. On nights when the temperatures are predicted to plunge below zero, keep the cabinets beneath your sinks open, so warm air can circulate around the pipes. Also, let your faucets drip to prevent freezing.

Professional Plumbing Inspections

If you are concerned about any plumbing issues in your home, reach out to a professional to conduct an inspection of your plumbing system. A plumber will examine your home’s pipes, fixtures, and appliances to check for leaks, corrosion, and clogs. In the case of a clog deep within the system, the plumber will use a special camera to explore the pipes to locate and break a clog.

If you have a plumbing leak, clog, or worst-case scenario, frozen pipes, contact Atlas Butler at 1-800-FURNACE. For plumbing emergencies, our phone is answered 24/7. We also conduct plumbing inspections.