Plumbing Maintenance Tips

Part of every homeowner’s fear is to have gallons of water rushing from a broken faucet or water valve, or to have sewage back up into their plumbing system, or even to have their outdoor faucets freeze and break during a spell of cold weather. Many of the plumbing concerns you may have can be avoided with regular preventative maintenance for your drains, water lines, sewer lines and can help to save your home’s plumbing system and stop the need for a licensed plumber to be dispatched by a local plumbing company.

Here are a few plumbing maintenance tips to keep your home’s plumbing in top-notch shape:

• • Always locate the water shut-off valve and shut off the water before you start, and make sure there is no water pressure in your plumbing system.
  • Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes and health.
  • Obtain blueprints of your home so you can identify the location of your pipes, for hot water cold water lines, shut-off valves, sewer lines, and drain lines.
  • Get one or two large buckets of water to flush a toilet if it is not flushing properly.
  • Put food coloring in your toilet tank to diagnose a leaking valve seal ball or flapper.
  • When the water in the bowl is colored, you know it is time to replace one or both of these parts.
  • If your hot water is becoming less warm, your water heater may simply need to have the pilot light lit again; you may be able to relight the water heater but if you don’t have the experience then please call a professional plumber to assist.
  • When running your garbage disposal, run a small amount of cold water and use smaller amounts of food particles at a time to keep from needing your garbage disposal replaced.
  • Keep your showerhead and faucets clean and clear of buildup to avoid low water pressure, mildew, and odors.
  • Avoid using large amounts of toilet paper to avoid buildup and blockages in your toilet’s drain line, and keep a plunger next to your toilet to help unclog any minor blockages from toilet paper or sediment buildup in your sewer line.
  • Use an adjustable clamp and a rubber sleeve to stop a minor leak for a period of time.
  • Never open a drain trap after pouring drain cleaning substances down the drain, as these are highly caustic and could seriously injure you.
  • If you see exposed pipes that are broken and leaky and are unsure of your skill level, please call a plumbing service to address these plumbing issues.
  • Drain cleaning products can damage PVC pipe and should be avoided if you have any pipes made of this material, as they may then need to be replaced due to corrosion.
  • If you notice a spike in your water bill, you may have a leaky faucet or spigot or may have a crack in your plumbing system. This could mean a full plumbing inspection from top to bottom, including basements and crawl spaces, to find the leak, prevent any further water damage, and avoid future costly repairs.
  • Call our Kansas City plumbing company to get the job done right the first time.

This is not an exhaustive list of regular maintenance or preventative maintenance steps to cover every homeowner’s unique plumbing system, but slow drains, sump pump issues, clogs, or bad odors can all stem from a huge variety of plumbing problems and is where a professional plumber can assist and keep your home’s entire plumbing system working properly and at 100%.