Like all the systems in your home, your plumbing system needs proper care in order to keep running trouble-free. By following a few basic plumbing tips, you can prevent problems like clogs and leaks, or solve them quickly when they do occur.
Give Your Plumbing Regular Care
Use drain strainers in your kitchen and bath to keep hair, soap scum, and bits of food out of the pipes. Clean the strainers every week. Clean your sink drains once every few weeks. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1/2 cup vinegar down the sink, let it bubble for around 10 minutes, then rinse the drain with hot water.
To prevent clogs, never flush anything other than toilet paper and never pour grease down any drain or the toilet. If your sink drain is running slow, try cleaning the P-trap in the pipe beneath it. Place a bucket under the pipes, then remove the P-trap and dump the contents into the bucket. Rinse the trap by running water through it into the bucket, and replace.
Don’t ignore dripping faucets because they not only waste water, but can also damage the rest of the fixture. If you’re not sure how to repair the faucet, call a plumber.
Solve Your Plumbing Problems Fast
If your toilet starts to overflow, turn off the water supply and wait for the water to go down. Check for anything that may have fallen into the drain, such as a child’s toy. If you find nothing, use a plunger or drain snake to clear the drain. If the clog won’t move, contact a plumber.
If your toilet is running and jiggling the handle doesn’t help, you probably need to replace the flapper inside the tank.
When your shower head or sink aerator starts spraying unevenly, mineral buildup is the likely cause. Clear the buildup by removing the showerhead or aerator and letting it soak in vinegar for one night.
To get more pro plumbing tips, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing anywhere in the Indianapolis area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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