To be a home plumbing rock star, you must take care of your home plumbing long before anything goes awry. It’s all about knowing your system, conducting regular maintenance and taking precautionary measures. When it comes to preventing plumbing emergencies, knowledge is power, and it will help you take care of even the simplest tasks on your own.
Routine preventive maintenance will not only extend the life of your home fixtures and systems, but it can also save them and you major headaches (and money) down the road. So, take the time to prepare the necessary measures to ensure that everything you need to know is at-hand and ready in the event of an emergency. It’s as easy as checking off the following signs that you’re home-plumbing-ready:
- You know the location of your main water shut-off valve – In order to prevent a leak from gushing all over your home, you must know where your main water shut-off valve is. For most, your main water mains are located in either the basement or outside of your home near a utility box. When you shut this off, you cut off the entire water supply to your home quickly and easily, lessening any potential damage to your property.
- You know what can and can’t go down your garbage disposal – Garbage disposals aren’t designed to take on just any mess that you put down them. For instance, you should never ever put fatty waste or grease down them. When this happens, the material hardens inside of your drains creating blockages. Other common no-nos include coffee grounds, rice, fibrous materials like potato peels and celery.
- You take the time to examine hidden or out-of-sight pipes for leaks – Hidden leaks are most often to blame for mysterious increases in your water bill. So, knowing where hidden leaks may be found, like under your cabinets or in the basement, will allow you to prevent and fix them in a timely manner before you have a plumbing disaster on your hands.
- You maintain your sump pump – It’s a simple task and a necessary task to ensure that your in-home sump pump is cleaned out and properly working. Just don’t forget that it’s there! Make it a part of your regular maintenance to rinse it out every now and then.
- You know how old your pipes and fixtures are – You can easily stay on top of maintenance and replacement needs by knowing the age of your home’s pipes, toilets, water heater, faucets, etc.
- You have a toolkit on-hand, ready to use in case of an emergency – Every homeowner should keep a useful plumbing-related toolkit within easy reach. Your kit should include an auger, crescent and pipe wrenches, cup and flange plungers and a hacksaw.
- You keep the number of a trusty plumber on-hand – If you don’t already have one posted somewhere within easy reach, we recommend writing one down asap! And, as always, for all of your plumbing and emergency needs, give our Tritan team a call.
If you can’t check each of these signs off of your preparation list, then it’s time to start taking action. Don’t wait until it’s too late! With these basic prevention tips and Tritan Plumbing on your side, you can stay on top of your home’s plumbing well-being.
