DIY Plumbing Maintenance Is Easy With These Great Tips

When you own your own home, there is always something that needs attention. Among the things that must be properly maintained at all times is the plumbing system. In this article, we will present seven smart tips to help you maintain and care for the plumbing system in your home.

• Be smart from the start. When you are working on the pipes in your house or any house, be sure to turn off the water main before you begin. This is true even if you just plan to work on waste water pipes. You never know when someone may come along and flush a toilet or run some water, and this would cause a big mess and lots of unnecessary problems for you. Be smart and always turn off the water main before you work.
• Inspect your plumbing system seasonally. Look under your house, behind toilets and water heaters and under sinks for leaks. If you see watermarks, standing water or drips, loose tiles around faucets, or mildew you know you have a problem that needs attention. Corrosion is another sign of leaks. If you see orange or yellow stains on steel pipes or green stains on copper or brass pipes, you know you have a leak that needs to be taken care of. You may also see corrosion around shut off valves. This would mean the valve needs to be replaced.
• Check your faucets, shower heads and water heater for sediment. Sediment in shower heads and behind tap screens will cause low water pressure. In your water heater, it can cause the entire unit to overheat and shut itself off. Be sure to check this and flush out sediment regularly to keep your water pressure high and avoid damage to your appliances and fixtures.
• Check for signs of rust inside your water heater which may indicate a leak. While you’re at it, if you have a gas water heater, be sure the flame is burning blue, not yellow. If it’s burning yellow at all, it is an indication that you should clean the jets.
• Make sure all of your drains are working properly. If they are draining slowly, you may have a clogged drain or your vent pipe may be blocked. Slow draining and bubbling are both signs of drain problems. If you hear gurgling, you may have vent problems. Be sure to practice good drain maintenance daily by keeping foreign matter out of your drains. Clean your drains once a month by dropping a tablespoon of baking powder in the drain and then following this with a gallon of hot water.
• Be sure all the toilets in your home are working properly. You can easily do so by flushing and checking around to see if any puddles result around the base of the toilet. Be certain the toilet is properly seated and doesn’t rock when sat upon. Look inside the back of the toilet and make sure all the parts are whole and working properly. If you see cracked or broken parts or rust, it’s a good idea to purchase a replacement package and replace everything. Replacing the interior parts of your toilet one at a time will keep you busy replacing toilet parts month after month.
• Look behind your washing machine to be sure your hoses are properly connected and in good condition. If they are old and brittle or have leaks, you must replace them. Be sure to get good quality, high-pressure washing machine hoses. Braided stainless steel are the best.

By following the tips presented here once each season, you can stay on top of plumbing problems in your home before they begin. This is a great way to save money and keep your home plumbing system in tip-top shape.