The plumbing system is built to deliver fresh water, thus helping carry out daily activities like cleaning, bathing, cooking etc. With adequate commercial plumbing, easy access to fresh water and proper sanitation has become a child’s play.
However, the plumbing problems are very standard, and every home/ building owner must have experienced the discomforts caused by the poor plumbing maintenance. For example, leaky taps, foul smell running all around the place, over flooding sinks and toilets etc.
Thus, in the following segment, you’ll learn about the top five easy plumbing system maintenance tips.
- Don’t Flush Everything and Anything
Be mindful of what you’re putting inside your toilet because that’s a toilet, not a dustbin. So, the only thing you can flush is toilet paper and below is the list of daily essentials that one must not burn up inside the toilet, such as:
- Cotton
- Sanitary Napkins
- Hairs
- Cardboard or plastic wraps
- Soap wrappers
Thus, if you’re still doing it, you might be willing to pay a hefty amount to the plumber. Instead, put a dustbin in the bathroom and encourage its use.
- Frequently Checking for Leakage
Leakage is one of the biggest hurdles in maintaining the plumbing system fit, and the most common cause of leakage is corroding pipes. Some of the common signs of tap and pipe leaks are:
- The sudden increase in the water bill
- Visible mould around the taps and pipes
- Cracks
- Funny smelling rooms
- Wet spots around the leaks
The leaks can easily be avoided by regulating the water pressure and keeping the drains clean, as both cause long-term adverse effects.
- Keeping the Drains Clean
The major enemy of the excellent plumbing system is the clogged drains. Big dirt gets accumulated inside the drains resulting in the pipe’s blockage and hence the failure of the plumbing system. So, why not encourage cleaning the gutters timely so that clogging never happens.
To clean the drains naturally, you can use the following mixtures:
- Hot water and dish soap: mix a few tablespoons of dish soap in the two litres of boiled water. Pour that mixture into the sink and wait for a while. Later run the tap water.
- Baking soda and vinegar: Firstly, put boiling water in the sink. Next, pour the mixture, i.e., baking soda and vinegar, in equal quantities. Cover the drain and wait for 10 minutes. The final step is to pour hot water down the drain to clean it.
- Salt, Borax and Vinegar: start by pouring 0.25 cup borax and salt into the drain. Next, pour 0.5 cup vinegar and hot water. Let this mixture work for 1 hour. Lastly, boil the water down the drain to remove any excess solution.
If the above mixtures don’t work and you require a more potent formula, consult the best plumber in your area; otherwise, you might end up damaging the plumbing pipes due to a lack of knowledge.
- Repairing an Overflowing Toilets
Toilet overflowing is one of the common problems causing hurdles in the regular functioning of the plumbing system. Even after cleaning the toilets regularly with soap and hot water, toilet overflowing is quite a common issue. So, to fix this, you can consider the following:
- Use a plunger: align the plunger’s cup in the toilet’s centre and apply downward pressure. If the mass has caused the overflow, it will clog and dissolve slowly as you keep increasing the pressure.
If the plunger is ineffective, leave the clog as a significant proportion of clog contents are water-soluble. Thus, the clog will dissolve automatically in some time if left unattended.
- Use Water Softener for Hard Water
Depending on your living location, use a softener for hard water as the mineral deposition can harm the pipes. For example, either the mineral deposition will block the lines resulting in the clogged drains, or the continuous use of hard water will affect the plumbing pipe’s longevity. Thus to naturally soften the water, consider the following methods:
- Ion exchange system or get an ion exchange filter
- Chelation process
- Use of washing soda
A good water softener will help maintain the mineral content and be good for health and the plumbing system.