Plumbing amounts to much more than you might think! It covers items such as sinks, showers pipes, waste systems, and more. With so many areas in your home to maintain in your home, it can be overwhelming to tackle them all. Let’s highlight four of the most common tips and tricks on residential plumbing so that you can keep your pipes up and running!
1. Choose the Best Plunger: For the most effective plunger to use on a toilet, choose one with a flange that sticks out from the end and fits into the hole in the bottom of the bowl. These typically work better than the classic cup-style plungers, since they create a tighter seal in the drain.
2. Use a Hair Trap: Use a hair trap on your bathroom drain to make sure it doesn't end up clogging your plumbing. A simple grate can be placed over the drain and hair can be pulled off each time you shower. If your pipes do end up plugging you can buy a snaking tool which will go down and grab all the hair for you.
3. Consult Building Codes: Make sure that when you are doing any home improvements to your plumbing that they are done up to the building codes in your area. The building codes are there to protect people from being scalded by hot water, trap harmful sewer gas from entering the home, and ensure plumbing is done properly before finishes are applied.
4. Don’t Dump Potatoes in the Disposal: While it may seem like a seemingly harmless thing to do, never run potato peels through your garbage disposal. The chemical make-up of this seemingly harmless food allows the potato to turn into a thick, viscous substance that can wreak havoc on the disposal itself, with the potential to render it completely useless.
Plumbing is likely broader than you realized, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do your part in preventing major problems in your home. In fact, there is quite a lot you CAN DO. If you do come across a plumbing problem that is beyond your experience, get in touch an expert plumber at Mr. Rooter. You can use our one-touch Rooter 911 app (iTunes and Play Store) or simply contact us for same day response!
