Your plumbing system isn’t usually something you have to pay much attention to. It can pretty much do what it has to do without much interference from you. But any system is going to have some wear and tear from use over time. In this article, we go over 4 key ways you can help your plumbing system run the way it should.
1) Don’t Send Down Fats, Oils, or Grease: A quote from the garbage disposal owner’s manual says, “Don’t pour grease or fat down your disposal or any drain. It can build up in all the pipes and cause drain blockages. Put grease in a jar, can, or dispose of it in the trash.” The biggest cause of blocked drains in the kitchen is grease caked on the inside of the pipes until it closes off.
2) Water Heater Flush: When sediment builds up in a layer at the bottom of your water heater, it acts like an insulator. That makes your water heater have to work much harder to heat the water. A water heater flush washes out most of that sediment by letting the water rush out a spigot at the bottom of your unit. An annual flush will leave you with more hot water, faster hot water, and much more life out of your water heater.
3) Clean Out Sink Drains: Cleaning out a sink drain is often simple enough for the average homeowner. Unscrew the fittings and let the water drain out. Washing the pipes with soapy water should take care of most of the gunk. Then you can reassemble your drain. You can watch the linked videos for more detailed instructions for each sink.
4) Replace the Toilet Flapper: The most common cause of a running toilet is a bad flapper. Your toilet flapper is in charge of flushing your toilet. It lifts when you push down the handle and lowers as the water drains. A bad one can’t seal right and lets water run through. We go over the steps to replace it in the video.
