Home Plumbing Maintenance in San Diego

Plumbing maintenance at home is essential to the overall health of your personal system. Well-maintained appliances like toilets, showers, kitchen sinks, and washers are appliances that will last for years to come. Mr. Rooter Plumbing of San Diego County has been the on-call solution for all residential plumbing repair, service, and maintenance needs for residents in the area for decades. Below you will find tips for making sure your plumbing system functions correctly for years to come.

Tips for Household Plumbing Maintenance in San Diego

If you neglect plumbing maintenance, your system may experience quicker breaks and failures. Repairs and replacements can be time-consuming and costly, so it’s best to prevent these problems before they happen. Follow the tips below to protect your plumbing appliances.

Be Careful of What You Flush

Toilets are only designed to handle toilet paper and human waste disposal. Items such as food waste, hair, wet wipes, and grease can cause buildup in a toilet’s plumbing and increase the chances of clogs.

Check for Toilet Leaks

While major plumbing leaks ultimately require a plumber to address and repair them, it’s important to watch for signs of smaller leaks. Leaks that come from a toilet, for example, can waste water and cause trouble if not quickly addressed. It is prudent to check around the toilet’s base for pooling water or water dripping from the tank. If these problems are discovered quickly and addressed, they can save you time and money in the future.

You can add a few drops of food coloring into the tank to check for less obvious leaks. If the coloring shows up in the bowl after a few hours, you most likely leak somewhere in the line. Performing this test once or twice a year can prevent larger leaks and property damage.

Leaking Shower Heads and Faucets

Water waste from faucets can result from leakage from worn-out washers, issues with the O-ring, or corroded valve seats. These leaks not only waste precious water resources but can also raise your water utility bills. You should inspect these appliances for leakage and check around them and under sinks to establish if pipes are also leaking.

Appliance Water Leak Checks

Many appliances in your home connect to your main water line, including your washer, refrigerator, water heater, and dishwasher. Each of these can use heavy amounts of water and are therefore at risk for significant leaks. Leaks can be obvious when water stains surround the appliances or pools of standing water.

Garbage Disposal Caution

Having a garbage disposal in your kitchen is a great modern convenience. However, there are downsides, especially when you aren’t cautious with what you are putting down your disposal. Putting things in the disposal that are not compatible can cause obvious problems right away, as well as issues that are not immediately apparent.

To prevent buildup in your garbage disposal, avoid putting things like starchy foods, coffee grounds, egg shells, grease, fibrous foods, tough meat, and potato peels down it. These items easily clog the drain and can complicate the inner workings of the disposal. Fruits with pits, bones, and other harder food items, such as nuts, can weaken the blades of the disposal and be difficult to remove.

Keeping Drains Clear

If you begin to notice that water is pooling in your sinks or draining at slower speeds, you might have a clogging issue. Your first instinct might be to purchase a chemical drain cleaner. Don’t. These cleaners often contain acids that cause more harm than good to the inner workings of your home plumbing system. Instead, you can try making a simple mix of vinegar and baking soda and pouring that down the drain to flush out the clog.

However, if this doesn’t work, it’s time to call in the experts. A professional plumber can use a drain snake or hydro jet to clear the clog before it worsens and causes more damage. Catching drain clogs early is a great way to mitigate the chances of emergencies and more expensive service.

Choose Mr. Rooter for Your Plumbing Needs

Proper maintenance is essential to the well-being of your home's plumbing. However, regular inspections performed by professionals are of equal or greater importance. Contact Mr. Rooter today and see how we might be of service to you. We look forward to your call.