Top 10 Plumbing Tips for Homeowners

Homeowners are always looking to save money by doing simple things that require professional help by themselves. Plumbing requires skill but with a few plumbing tips, plumbing hacks or basic plumbing knowledge you can be able to prevent plumbing disasters in your home.

The internet is an oasis of information for homeowners that want basic plumbing tips to help them identify problems, handle issues before a professional plumber shows up to mitigate damage and even handle simple issues all on their own. Here are 10 essential plumbing tips for all homeowners.

Find Out Where Your Water Shut-Off Valve Is Located

Plumbing problems can cause major water damage to your house in just a couple of minutes. It is imperative for you to know where your water shut-off valve is located so you can shut the water flow to the house quickly when the need arises. This is one of the simplest plumbing tips that can save you a lot of money in expensive repairs.

Own A Plunger And Drain Snake

A plunger, besides being very cheap is a very efficient tool at handling clogs. It can be used to unclog sinks, toilets, and shower drains. A plunger doesn’t require any special skill to use and works really well where the clogs are not very serious. However you have a serious clog that the plunger is unable to remove, then a drain snake comes in handy.

The drain snake works better because it doesn’t rely on suction pressure. Rather, the drain snake is driven inside the drain to the clog and breaks it up or extracts it. Drain snakes and plungers are available in most home improvement stores near you.

Inspect Your Hot Water Heater Regularly

Another one of the most important plumbing tips you should not ignore is caring for your hot water heater. Your hot water heater requires regular maintenance to maintain efficiency and also ensure safety. It needs to be drained at least once every year to remove sediments.

The pipes to the water heater need to be insulated for efficiency and also ensure the pressure relief valve is working as required. Maintenance of the water heater should be left to the professionals as it can be dangerous.

Hire A Licensed Plumber

Some of the problems that might occur require the touch of a professional plumber to save you lots of time and money in the long run. A professional will get the job done the first time protecting your home from water damage if you have a problem with your plumbing.

When hiring a professional plumber take time to investigate their qualifications and reputation around. Check that they have insurance and required licenses to operate. A professional should also stand behind their work by offering a guarantee on their services and the products they use for repair if any.

Get Regular Plumbing Inspections For Your Home

Getting professional plumbing inspections in Brisbane for your home are a great way of preventing full blown plumbing problems that might cause a lot of damage to your home and cost you a lot in repairs. With regular plumbing inspections, the plumber catches plumbing and heating problems in your home early and provides recommendations on repairs that should be done immediately and those that can wait until later.

Professionals use state of the art technology like cameras to inspect the sewer systems and hidden water pipes in the house to find problems that are not obvious to you. With regular inspections you ensure your plumbing and heating systems are working at peak performance and you also plan on upgrades to your systems for maintained efficiency.

Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners

Food particles, hair, grime, dirt, grease and other things get their way into the drains, which is why regular cleaning is required to avoid clogging. Regular cleaning of the drains is beneficial because; it

ensures faster drainage on the sinks and in the showers, reduces risk of clogs that can cause lots of damage to your house, gets rid of bad odours, and improves the life span of your drain.

However, you should not use chemical drain cleaners because they can cause damage to your pipes. Instead you should use a snake to clean your drains or use professional maintenance services for your plumbing.

Clean Your Shower Drain

The shower drain is usually the biggest cause of clogging in many homes. The shower drain collects a lot of soap, dirt and hair which can cause clogging in the drains. If there is standing water in your bathroom as you shower or you notice that water drains slower than usual then it means you have a clog in your shower drain. Also, you might get an unpleasant odour emanating from the drain.

It is recommended that you clean your shower drain regularly removing all the hair and other items that might go down. if you already have a clog, try using a plunger to open up the drain. Apply some petroleum jelly on the lining of the plunger to create a stronger seal for high suction. Also pour hot water down the drain to melt any grease or grime that might be causing the clog.

Broken Toilets: Flush Your Toilet With A Bucket Of Water

A simple plumbing hack that works for broken toilets is using bucket water to flush. Fill a bucket with water and pour it in your toilet bowl. Lift the bucket and pour the water down the bowl in one pour with as much force as possible to create a powerful flush. This will put a lot of water down the drain at a high speed causing the clog to open up and unblock the toilet.

With these plumbing tips you can keep the plumbing system in your home operational at all times, avoid major damage to your home and avoid expensive plumbing repairs.