10 Helpful Plumbing Tips for Homeowners

Here are 10 essential plumbing tips you should know as a homeowner:

1. Never ever pour fat, oil, or grease (FOG) down the drain. FOG may be liquid when it enters the drain, but when it cools, it will solidify and clog up your pipes.
2. Use strainers on your drains to prevent the entry of soap scum, debris, hair, and other substances that may clog the pipes. This is especially important for your bathroom drains.
3. When using your garbage disposal systems, leave it on for a few seconds before grinding stuff in there. Before and while the disposal is on, leave the cold water running and keep it running for around 15 seconds after turning off the disposal. Running cold water helps solidify any FOG that may have entered the disposal. As a bonus tip, grind up some citrus wedges and ice cubes every 2 weeks to keep your disposal clean and smelling great.
4. Never grind bones, banana peels, stringy food items, rice, pasta and chicken skin in your garbage disposal system. These items may stick to the components of the machine and jam it.
5. The washing machine is another modern plumbing appliance that makes your daily life convenient. To prevent clogs in your main drain, make sure that you put a wire trap or pantyhose at the end of the washer’s drain hose. This will catch the soil, dirt, and lint that are supposed to flow out of the hose with the soiled water.
6. Condoms, cotton balls, cotton swabs, diapers, wet wipes, cigarette butts and even facial scrub pads should not get flushed down the toilet. Only toilet paper and human waste should get flushed. These things will quickly cause a serious drain clog.
7. If you believe that your toilet tank is leaking, you can simply pour a few drops of food color into it. If the water in the bowl turns the same color, the leak is confirmed. While you may be able to fix the problem yourself, such as adjusting the chain, contact a professional plumber if you have any questions. You don’t want to ignore the problem.
8. When your water heater stops working or when the tank shows signs of damage, leaks, or corrosion, contact a professional plumber as soon as you can. For extra peace of mind, speak with a plumber about installing a leak detector system for the water heater. A water detector shut-off will turn off the water supply and power source if it detects a leak. This can help protect your home or building from disastrous water damage. We highly recommend it!
9. Insulate your water heater tank and the supply pipes to increase energy efficiency. Aldo, turn down the water heater temperature from the standard 140 degrees to a more comfortable and energy-efficient 120 degrees.
10. Slow drains signify a budding clog. Address the problem right away by cleaning the drains. But remember, don’t use drain cleaners with harsh chemical content. You can go for good old baking soda and vinegar instead.

We hope these helpful plumbing tips will make your life easier and keep plumbing troubles away. If you do experience a plumbing problem, don’t hesitate to contact the certified, on-time professional at Fix-It 24/7.

Schedule your plumbing maintenance service in Denver today, or better yet, sign up for our home maintenance plan — the Fix-It Green Club.

When Your House Is in Trouble, Call the Green Bubble!

(303) 214-0277