Avoid Costly Plumbing Repair With Routine Preventative Measures

It is common among many homeowners to want to avoid costly plumbing repair. There is truth to that claim about plumbing emergencies, since plumbing companies have to charge more for plumbing work that needs to be done straight away, or plumbing work that has to be done during ungodly hours or during weekends.

While plumbing systems eventually cause problems over time, taking routine preventative measures—like the ones listed below—can help you avoid such things from happening earlier than expected, and help you avoid costly plumbing repair as well.

Do not flush things down the Toilet

Ideally, only human waste should ever be flushed down the toilet, although an exception can be made for toilet paper, which is designed to break down in the water. Toys, cellophane, hair, large pieces of food, tampons, garbage or hazardous chemicals should never find their way into the inside of a toilet, or you will end up with a clogged drain. It’s important that you instill this in everyone in your household. Should you actually see stuff intentionally or accidentally flushed down your toilet, remove that blockage immediately using a plunger, drain cleaners or even drain snakes?

Make Wise Landscaping Decisions

If you’re still in the middle of constructing your house and setting up its plumbing system, make sure that your pipes are laid out far from any tree or plant in your yard. If the house is already there and you’re planting trees, plants, and shrubs as part of your landscaping efforts, make sure you plant them a good distance from where your pipes are. Root damage is one of the worst problems that your pipes can sustain, but it can be easily avoided by following what was said earlier.

Insulate your Exposed Pipes

Frozen pipes are not uncommon for those who live in colder parts of the globe. When water freezes inside a pipe, the water expands and cause pipes to crack or worse, to burst. Avoid costly plumbing repair by insulating your exposed pipes. Just remember that the more insulation you put on the pipes, the better protected they will be.

Flush your Water Heater Tank yearly

You need to flush your water heater tank yearly to rid it of sediments that have accumulated inside over time. These sediments prevent your heater from functioning properly, and could eventually cause cracks and leaks in the tank. Fixing or replacing a water heater system can get mighty expensive, and that is why you have to do flush your water heater tank yearly and help yourself avoid costly plumbing repair.

Check your Fixtures regularly

Your faucets, showerheads, toilets, tubs and other plumbing fixtures need to be checked regularly for water leaks or any kind of damage. The earlier you spot problems by doing routine preventative measures, the better your chances of fixing them before they get any worse and require professional plumbing repair.

Even in plumbing, that cliché about an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure still applies, and how. Do these routine preventative measures, avoid costly plumbing repair, and save a lot of money in the long run.