When in Doubt, Don’t Flush it
Never flush items like wipes, kitty litter, or menstrual products. Even products that advertise themselves as “flushable” will take a long time to break down in your pipes and can easily cause a stubborn clog in the meantime. As a general rule, don’t flush anything but bodily waste and toilet paper and you’ll have fewer nasty blockages to deal with.
Learn How to Shut off Your Water
Make sure you know where your water main shutoff valve is and how to use it. Too often, people don’t learn how to shut off the water to their home until an emergency like a burst pipe happens. In this situation, you can save yourself a lot of water damage if you know exactly where your water shutoff is located and how to turn it off. Some shutoff valves require a tool, such as a wrench, to be accessed. If this is the case in your home, keep the necessary tool close to the shutoff valve so you can grab it easily in a hurry if a plumbing emergency arises.
Check Your Pipes Regularly
Inspect your pipes every 6 months or so, looking for any visible signs of damage. To do this, do a visual check of all exposed pipes in your home, taking a look for discoloration, rust, cracking, and leaks. These are all signs that your pipes are damaged and could have bigger problems soon, so have them repaired (or replaced, if needed) at the first sign of damage.
Don’t Ignore Minor Leaks
We know how easy it is to see a small leak somewhere in your home and say to yourself “well, it’s just a tiny leak, I don’t need to deal with it right now.” The thing is, that tiny leak is actually wasting a significant amount of water and running up your utilities bill, plus the longer you ignore it, the more likely it is to become a much bigger issue that takes significantly more time and money to fix than a simple little leak. In the long run, you’ll be a lot happier if you deal with that leak as soon as you notice it.
Use Drain Strainers
Drain strainers are a simple, inexpensive solution that can prevent a lot of hassle. Clogged drains are inconvenient and tough to get unblocked, so the more you do to prevent stubborn blockages from happening, the less you’ll have to worry about a slow-running, stinky drain. Use drain strainers in the bathtub or shower to prevent hair and soap chips from going down the drain, and use them in the kitchen sink to catch food bits and other debris before it makes its way down the drain and into your pipes.
The above tips can go a long way in preventing plumbing issues, but problems do happen from time to time anyway. If you have a plumbing repair job that needs attention, trust Santana Bros to get the job done right.