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September 12, 2013Bathroom Cleaning Tips
September 13, 2013
Caring for your home’s plumbing system is essential to preventing floods and other disasters. Many homeowners fail to clean their pipes regularly and others are not sure how to care for their plumbing system. If you want to avoid a costly plumbing disaster, you need to know how to prevent issues from happening. Here are some great tips to help you get started in caring for your home’s plumbing system.
Throw it Away
Too many people use the garbage disposal like a garbage can. Instead of overusing your garbage disposal and letting all your food bits go down the drain, throw them in the trash. Never dump grease down the drain because it will gradually clog up the pipe. Use a drain cover on your shower to reduce the amount of hair and other things that could go down the drain. Preventing clogs from hair and food particles is one of the easier things a homeowner can do to keep a plumbing system working.
Clean the Drain
How often do you find yourself cleaning out your drain? If you aren’t cleaning the drains with basic baking soda and vinegar at least once a month, grease, soap, hair, and other things will start to build up in the drainage system. It helps to clean out the drains at least once a month to keep pipes flowing. Chemical drain cleaners can work effectively on tough clogs and do a great job at keeping the drains clean. Just know that harsh chemicals can erode the pipes in older homes. Hiring a professional at least once a year to perform hydro-jetting services is a great way to keep the pipes nice and clean.
Fix the Issues
No matter how new your home is, there are some common plumbing issues that everyone needs to watch out for. An overflowing toilet is a concern that can cause serious water damage. Use a toilet plunger to help move the blockage out of the toilet line. A toilet auger can work effectively if the plunger is unable to fix the clog. Hire a professional if you are still unable to get the toilet to flush properly. If you have a simple issue like a leaky faucet or an odd-sounding dishwasher or disposal, have them repaired. These little odd noises and issues are usually the warning signs of serious problems. Repairing a small problem early on will help you avoid flooding and other serious disasters.
Inspect the Pipes
The cold winter weather can take its toll on many plumbing systems so it’s important to insulate your pipes. Always insulate pipes that are in areas where it is difficult for the heating system to supply hot air. Garages, crawl spaces, and basements tend to have the majority of issues especially burst pipes. Keep a slow drip on one of your faucets in the winter so water is always moving through the line. Open doors to rooms that do not have heater outlets so the pipes can stay warmer. If you have a pipe leaking, contact a professional plumbing agency to come and replace it.
This article was written by Dillon Pentz, a home renovator, freelance blogger and DIY enthusiast. Dillon hopes to give people helpful information on home projects and recommends contacting a professional like those at Southern Plumbing for your plumbing issues.
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15 Comments
I really liked your suggestion to not use the garbage disposal as a garbage can. That was something that I was very guilty of when I was a college student. Little did I know that it would cause serious damage to our plumbing. It was a fortune to get everything all fixed up. I will never make that mistake again! http://www.plumbingandelectricalhoboken.com
KentClark1 It’s amazing what some people throw down their garbage disposals! Sounds like a hard learned lesson.
I’ve never heard about cleaning my drains with baking soda and vinegar. All I know is that I haven’t been cleaning them with anything as frequently as this article suggests. It’s probably about time I do something about that. My drains haven’t been working as well as they should be lately. That is probably why. <a href=’http://www.alcoronadoplumbing.com’ >http://www.alcoronadoplumbing.com</a>
Gary, this was a great article about how to avoid a plumbing disaster. The tip about throwing things away instead of putting them down the garbage disposal seems like a good idea. I will have to show this to my husband. Maybe that is the reason why our kitchen sink is draining slowly.
Emily Smith | http://www.mountainmechanicalak.com
Good point about not using the food disposal like a garbage can. My roommates do that way too often. It is only a matter of time before we have expensive plumbing services to pay for.
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I liked the part that mentioned cleaning the drains periodically to help avoid different problems. The other thing that stuck out to me was when the article mentioned to fix the problems and not avoid them. The last thing that people would probably want is to have to deal with different issues with pipes and other things in their home. http://www.eddiebplumbing.com/services-.html
Thank you so much for the tips on how to avoid a costly plumbing disaster. I think the best tip here has to be the last one. If you perform frequent inspections on your plumbing, you will be able to find and stop small problems in their tracks before they turn into large problems. One example given in the article that many people don’t think about is how winter can effect the pipes. Winter can cause a lot of damage which is why it is smart to have your plumbing checked before and after Winter.
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We just moved into a new place where there isn’t a whole lot of landlord involvement. In fact, we have a long list of to-do’s for him (as soon as he’ll return our calls). One of these is plumbing, and we’re expecting it to take a while before it gets repaired. The drains being slow is the primary concern.
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Inspecting your pipes during the winter is so important for plumbing disaster prevention! I haven’t considered tossing the food instead of using the disposal. I should start that. I do have to say that I do a great job inspecting my pipes though. I think that can really help lower the costs on upkeep.
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I think it’s really important to be able to find the best way to avoid issues like these. Your tips were really insightful. I’ve never really thought about how important cleaning a drain could be. I guess it would make a lot of sense though. If something is being properly maintained, it’s definitely going to be better able to stay in good condition. I hope that more people will utilize these tips over time to make things work out well.
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Like the article said, I think that as long as you clean it, it should be found. I learned the hard way because there was so much junk that a calcium ring started to form. I ended up having to replace it which wasn’t cheap at all. http://www.blackburnbennett.com/services.html
As a plumber that main issue that I had to go through was unclogging kitchen and bathroom faucets. Well, the reason is because at times I would find small toothbrushes stuck in the pipe as well as a roll of hairball. There are so many things that a plumber would find when fixing faucets and pipes. http://www.alcoronadoplumbing.com
The part that caught my attention was when it talked about just throwing away bad foods rather that putting them down the sink. I can see how little food bits could get stuck, thereby causing pipe issues. However, different people are probably going to have different needs. http://www.drainsurgeoncsra.com
I think it is important to prepare your pipes for winter. I would let them drip for a while before things get too cold to prevent freezing. Otherwise, you might be in for some problems. http://www.angelesplumbing.com
Thanks Kenneth. Good point!