10 Golden Rules of Plumbing for Homeowners

When a plumbing issue occurs, sometimes, you have no choice but to call a plumber as soon as possible. If you are calling in the middle of the night, or during a weekend, you might have to pay double to get your issue fixed.

Here are 10 things your local plumbers wish you knew.

1. Don’t pour grease down your sink

Pouring grease and cooking oil down your sink is not a good idea. As they cool down, they will end up clogging your pipes. A better solution is to pour grease and oil in a small container, to let them cool, and to throw them in the garbage.

2. Don’t treat your garbage disposal like a trash can

You should never overestimate the power of your garbage disposal. Be careful if you put food scraps down your garbage disposal, as potato peels, celery, and poultry skins are only a few examples of foods garbage disposals can’t handle.

3. Don’t treat your toilet like a trash can either

Paper towels, feminine hygiene products, cotton swabs, and make-up removal wipes simply don’t belong in a toilet. If you throw them in there, your pipes will be clogged eventually.

4. Shut off your water valve when you go on vacation

Do you know how to shut off your home’s water valve? If you don’t, you should figure it out as soon as possible. Your plumber would strongly recommend you to shut off your water valve before going on a vacation.

5. Don’t ignore water puddles around the base of your toilet

If there is even just a tiny water puddle constantly forming around the base of your toilet, you should not ignore it. This leaking water probably means your toilet’s wax ring seal needs to be replaced, so you should call a plumber quickly.

6. Don’t ignore a dripping faucet

A slow dripping faucet shouldn’t be ignored either. If you can get your leaky faucet fixed as soon as possible, you will be able to avoid more costly damages in the long run.

7. You can easily prevent frozen pipes

On some occasions, a dripping faucet can be a good thing. If you have been dealing with frozen pipes in the past, you can prevent your pipes from freezing again by letting your faucets drip in the winter, when the weather turns very cold.

8. Be careful with chemical products

Using chemical drain cleaners to unclog your pipes might be efficient, but it might eventually result in corrosion and leaks. A safer alternative is to use a natural drain cleaner instead.

9. Drain your water heater regularly

Draining your water heater once a year is the best way to get rid of mineral deposits that can damage it. If you are not sure how to do this, ask a plumber.

1o. Don’t attempt large plumbing repairs on your own

Even if you like fixing things all around your home, you should not attempt large plumbing repairs. It might save you some money at first, but if something breaks down because you have not repaired it properly, it will cost you a lot more.