10 Tips To Prevent Plumbing Issues in Your Home

1. Prepare for the winter. Turn off water flow to outside spigots to prevent water from bursting over. Garden hoses should be disconnected from spigots as well.

2. If you are on vacation do not turn heat off from your home completely. Doing so can cause damage to your water pipes. Instead, keep the level of heat in the home above freezing, but leave the kitchen and vanity cabinet doors open so the low heat can still reach the pipes.

3. Don’t flush items down the toilet that are not meant to be there. Only flush toilet paper and body waste. It is never a good idea to flush diapers or feminine products down the toilet. Most SLC plumbers recommend not even flushing “disposable” wipes that are “toilet safe” down the toilet because there is no guarantee that your waste management system can handle it.

4. Insulate your pipes. Wrap pipes that are exposed before freezing temperatures arrive in the Winter time. Insulated pipes prevent bursting pipes, and reduce energy.

5. Regularly check your washer and dryer’s hoses. If they have cracks, replace them. SLC plumbers can help you with this. Loose connections should also be tightened.

6. Be careful what you let go down your drain. Drain covers prevent food scraps from going down the drain. Other things that clog drains are cooking grease and hair, so be careful of those too.

7. Most tubs have an overflow drain. Keep the overflow drain open in the tub. This will prevent the tub from overflowing and damaging more of your home.

8. Find out where the water shutoff valve is. It can be located on your street, or on your property. This can help if an emergency arises, such as a broken pipe. If you have a busted pipe or leak get it looked at immediately by a SLC plumber.

9. Water heaters can be very heavy. If you live in an area that is prone to natural disasters be sure to take precautions. Secure water heaters to walls to make sure they do not tip over.

10. Toilets have a bad habit of getting clogged easily. Keep a plunger nearby to deal with these issues. If water keeps flowing over your toilet be sure to turn off the water valve to stop it.