Keeping the Flow Moving: 9 Plumbing Maintenance Tips Everyone Needs to Know

If you’re waiting until you have a leak to perform maintenance on your plumbing, odds are you’ll end up with far more serious issues in the future.

Plumbing maintenance is a way to ensure you don’t end up with costly, or irreversible plumbing problems down the road. Better to maintain your plumbing than to ignore it until a serious issue arises.

But how is regular plumbing maintenance done? Check out this list of nine plumbing maintenance tips everyone should know and follow to keep your plumbing in top condition.

1. Stop Leaking Toilets

You know your toilet is leaking when you hear it running long after you’ve flushed. This is often caused by deficient seals around the valve seat. Gunk tends to form over the valve seat and flapper, causing the seal to deteriorate.

Because of this buildup, the seal is unable to prevent the water from continuing to run.

At other times, your toilet may keep running because of problems with the stopper in your tank or your toilet handle. Whatever the cause, fixing a runny toilet is generally easy and inexpensive.

It will cost much less to stop your toilet from running than to repair it entirely in the future.

2. Unclog Drains

Clogged drains are likely one of the most common plumbing problems known to man. Whether the culprit is hair-buildup, soap scum, or something your toddler threw down the drain, when water doesn’t quickly flow through a drain, problems arise.

Fortunately, solutions are simple for clogged drains. Either remove the item causing the blockage or try the DIY method of combining hot water and vinegar.

This mixture is a great way to clear up your drains without putting too many harsh chemicals into your pipes. Try these preventative methods every few months to make sure water continues to flow easily.

3. Fix Leaking Drains

You should be able to recognize leaking drains easily. Water damage is an obvious sign of a leak.

Not only can leaking drains drain your wallet, but they can waste gallons of water every week. Unfortunately, if left unattended, dripping drains and faucets can all become worse over time.

Make sure that the handles are turned to off and see how much water is draining despite this. Make needed repairs as quickly as you can.

4. Don’t Flush That…

Call it laziness, call it ignorance, too many homeowners flush things down their toilets that should never go there.

Things like paper towels, feminine hygiene products, tissue paper, and more are all things that should be disposed of in a garbage can, not your toilet.

Knowing what your toilet can handle, and taking care of it regularly will prevent serious clogs that can be near impossible to fix. When it comes to problems with plumbing, let’s be honest, anything related to sewage is no fun.

Do yourself a favor and only flush toilet paper and human waste.

5. Adjust Your Water Pressure

Water pressure is how forcefully water comes out of your faucets, sinks and showers. High water pressure comes out fast and forcefully. Low pressure turns on slowly and very gradually falls out.

Water pressure that is too high or too low can cause problems. Overly high pressure can lead to higher water bills, wasted water, or damage to your faucets.

Low pressure can be frustrating and ineffective at getting a job done. The best way to monitor your water pressure regularly is to test the pressure with a pressure gauge.

You may need to install a pressure regulator to make sure the water pressure in your home is always at a safe level.

Sometimes water pressure issues are more cosmetic. By this, we mean that they can be caused by surface-level issues like sediment buildup on showerheads or faucets.

The best remedy, in this case, is to clean your showerhead to remove blockages.

6. Check Exposed Pipes

Sometimes exposed pipes or appliances can develop water leaks. When this happens, there will be obvious signs of leakage. These include stains on the walls or floors, puddles, dripping from ceilings, and worst of all, mildew or mold.

If your exposed pipes have developed mildew, you should contact an experienced plumber right away.

One solution is to install a drip tray under your appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, or water heaters.

You’ll want to take a look at the manufacturer’s owner’s manual for problems like this.

7. Check Your Water Heater

Water heaters can develop sediment inside of them over time. It’s best to check for build-up twice a year or at least once a year. Take a look inside your water heater’s burner chamber.

If you see rust or flakes inside the chamber, it’s not a good sign.

You can determine if your water heater’s jets are due for cleaning if the flame of your water heater is no longer blue. Bits of yellow will show up in the flame when it’s time for a cleaning.

8. Check Your Septic Tank

Most plumbing maintenance simply requires you to check on things. Taking a look at your septic tank regularly will make sure you’re aware of any problems before they become serious.

Also, take a look at hoses for signs of aging or hardening. If you find leaks, replace the damaged hoses ASAP.

9. Understand Your Sewer System

Knowledge is power, and understanding how your sewer system runs, and where will help you make sure no harm comes to it.

Tree roots are a common threat to sewer systems. Keep an eye on invading roots that could potentially hurt your sewer lines. You can avoid sewer clogs by having your lines “snaked” on the regular.

Regular Plumbing Maintenance is Important

If after reading these tips, you’re still not sure how to best perform your own plumbing maintenance, not to worry.

Many basic maintenance tasks can be done by homeowners themselves, but there are some issues that are best resolved by professional plumbers.

When in doubt, or in need of any plumbing help, reach out to the experts at Stallion Plumbing and Drains. We’re here to help with all your plumbing needs.