Nobody͏͏ likes͏͏ dealing͏͏ with͏͏ plumbing͏͏ problems.͏ A burst͏͏ pipe,͏͏ a͏͏ clogged͏͏ drain,͏͏ or͏͏ a͏͏ water͏͏ heater͏͏ that͏͏ suddenly͏͏ stops͏͏ working͏͏ can͏͏ all throw͏͏ your͏͏ whole͏͏ day͏͏ into͏͏ chaos.͏͏ Not͏͏ to͏͏ mention,͏͏ these͏͏ issues͏͏ can͏͏ cost͏͏ a͏͏ fortune͏͏ in͏͏ repairs.͏͏ Preventative͏͏ maintenance͏͏, though, can͏͏ go͏͏ a͏͏ long͏͏ way͏͏ in͏͏ keeping͏͏ your͏͏ plumbing͏͏ system͏͏ running͏͏ smoothly,͏͏ regardless of where͏͏ you͏͏ live.͏͏ As you start to look for͏͏ the͏͏ most͏͏ plumber͏͏ in͏͏ Colorado͏͏ Springs,͏͏ CO,͏͏ finding͏͏ a͏͏ reliable͏͏ professional͏͏ can͏͏ save͏͏ you͏͏ time,͏͏ money,͏͏ and͏͏ stress.͏͏ With͏͏ a͏͏ little͏͏ effort͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ right͏͏ help͏͏ when͏͏ needed,͏͏ you͏͏ can͏͏ keep͏͏ your͏͏ plumbing͏͏ system͏͏ in͏͏ top͏͏ shape͏͏ for͏͏ years͏͏ to͏͏ come. The first step in this is learning preventative tips for your pipes.
1.͏͏ Check͏͏ for͏͏ Tiny Leaks
A͏͏ slow and steady͏͏ drip͏͏ might͏͏ not͏͏ seem͏͏ like͏͏ a͏͏ big͏͏ deal at first but͏͏, over͏͏ time,͏͏ it͏͏ can͏͏ add͏͏ up͏͏ to͏͏ gallons͏͏ of͏͏ wasted͏͏ water͏͏ and͏͏ an͏͏ unnecessarily͏͏ high͏͏ water͏͏ bill.͏͏ Even͏͏ worse,͏͏ hidden͏͏ leaks͏͏ can͏͏ lead͏͏ to͏͏ serious͏͏ water͏͏ damage,͏͏ mold͏͏ growth,͏͏ and͏͏ expensive͏͏ repairs.
Make͏͏ it͏͏ a͏͏ habit͏͏ to͏͏ inspect͏͏ under͏͏ sinks,͏͏ around͏͏ your͏͏ toilets,͏͏ dishwasher,͏͏ and͏͏ washing͏͏ machine.͏͏ If͏͏ you͏͏ suspect͏͏ there is a toilet͏͏ leak,͏͏ as an example, here’s͏͏ a͏͏ handy͏͏ trick:͏͏ put͏͏ a͏͏ few͏͏ drops͏͏ of͏͏ food͏͏ coloring͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ toilet͏͏ tank͏͏ and͏͏ wait͏͏ about͏͏ 20͏͏ minutes.͏͏ If͏͏ the͏͏ color͏͏ seeps͏͏ into͏͏ the͏͏ bowl͏͏ without͏͏ flushing,͏͏ you’ve͏͏ got͏͏ a͏͏ leak͏͏ that͏͏ needs͏͏ attention.
2.͏͏ Keep͏͏ Your͏͏ Drains͏͏ Happy͏͏
Dealing͏͏ with͏͏ a͏͏ clogged͏͏ drain͏͏ can͏͏ be͏͏ a͏͏ real͏͏ bummer,͏͏ especially͏͏ when͏͏ it͏͏ happens͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ worst͏͏ possible͏͏ moment͏͏. However, many͏͏ drain͏͏ issues͏͏ are͏͏ completely͏͏ preventable͏͏ with͏͏ a͏͏ little͏͏ care.
Start͏͏ by͏͏ using͏͏ drain͏͏ strainers͏͏ in͏͏ your͏͏ sinks͏͏ and͏͏ tubs͏͏ to͏͏ catch͏͏ hair,͏͏ food͏͏ scraps,͏͏ and͏͏ soap͏͏ scum͏͏ before͏͏ they͏͏ become͏͏ a͏͏ problem.͏͏
Whatever͏͏ you͏͏ do,͏͏ never͏͏ pour͏͏ grease,͏͏ coffee͏͏ grounds,͏͏ or͏͏ food͏͏ scraps͏͏ down͏͏ the͏͏ drain.͏͏ While they might͏͏ seem͏͏ harmless͏͏ at͏͏ first,͏͏ they͏͏ build͏͏ up͏͏ and͏͏ create͏͏ nasty͏͏ blockages over time. For͏͏ routine͏͏ maintenance,͏͏ flush͏͏ your͏͏ drains͏͏ with͏͏ hot͏͏ water͏͏ once͏͏ a͏͏ week.͏͏ If͏͏ you͏͏ want͏͏ a͏͏ natural͏͏ cleaner,͏͏ try͏͏ pouring͏͏ half͏͏ a͏͏ cup͏͏ of͏͏ baking͏͏ soda͏͏ down͏͏ the͏͏ drain,͏͏ followed͏͏ by͏͏ a͏͏ cup͏͏ of͏͏ vinegar.͏͏ Let͏͏ it͏͏ fizz͏͏ for͏͏ a͏͏ few͏͏ minutes and then͏͏ rinse͏͏ with͏͏ hot͏͏ water.͏͏
3.͏͏ Take Care of Your Water Heater
At͏͏ least͏͏ once͏͏ a͏͏ year,͏͏ drain͏͏ a͏͏ few͏͏ gallons͏͏ of͏͏ water͏͏ from͏͏ the͏͏ tank͏͏ to͏͏ clear͏͏ out͏͏ sediment͏͏ buildup.͏͏ Over͏͏ time,͏͏ minerals͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ water͏͏ settle͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ bottom,͏͏ which͏͏ can͏͏ make͏͏ the͏͏ heater͏͏ work͏͏ harder͏͏ and͏͏ drive͏͏ up͏͏ your͏͏ energy͏͏ bills. It’s͏͏ also͏͏ worth͏͏ checking͏͏ the͏͏ temperature͏͏ setting which should͏͏ be͏͏ around͏͏ 120°F.͏͏ Anything͏͏ higher͏͏ not͏͏ only͏͏ wastes͏͏ energy͏͏, but͏͏ also͏͏ increases͏͏ the͏͏ risk͏͏ of͏͏ scalding.͏͏
4.͏͏ Prevent͏͏ Pipes͏͏ from͏͏ Winter͏͏ Freezing
Frozen͏͏ pipes͏͏ are͏͏ a͏͏ homeowner’s͏͏ nightmare.͏͏ When͏͏ water͏͏ inside͏͏ a͏͏ pipe͏͏ freezes,͏͏ it͏͏ expands, sometimes͏͏ so͏͏ much͏͏ that͏͏ the͏͏ pipe͏͏ bursts,͏͏ leading͏͏ to͏͏ major͏͏ flooding͏͏ and͏͏ expensive͏͏ repairs. If͏͏ you͏͏ live͏͏ in͏͏ an͏͏ area͏͏ with͏͏ harsh͏͏ winters,͏͏ make͏͏ sure͏͏ to͏͏ insulate͏͏ exposed͏͏ pipes͏͏ in͏͏ places͏͏ like͏͏ your͏͏ basement,͏͏ attic,͏͏ or͏͏ garage.͏͏ On͏͏ freezing͏͏ nights,͏͏ let͏͏ a͏͏ few͏͏ faucets͏͏ drip͏͏ slightly͏͏ to͏͏ keep͏͏ water͏͏ moving,͏͏ which͏͏ reduces͏͏ the͏͏ chance͏͏ of͏͏ freezing.͏͏
5.͏͏ Watch͏͏ That͏͏ Water͏͏ Pressure
Water͏͏ pressure͏͏ that’s͏͏ too͏͏ high͏͏ might͏͏ seem͏͏ like͏͏ a͏͏ good͏͏ thing, but over͏͏ time,͏͏ excessive͏͏ pressure͏͏ can͏͏ put͏͏ stress͏͏ on͏͏ your͏͏ pipes͏͏ and͏͏ fixtures,͏͏ leading͏͏ to͏͏ leaks͏͏ and͏͏ premature͏͏ wear.
You͏͏ can͏͏ check͏͏ your͏͏ home’s͏͏ water͏͏ pressure͏͏ with͏͏ a͏͏ gauge that attaches͏͏ to͏͏ an͏͏ outdoor͏͏ faucet.͏͏ Ideally,͏͏ it͏͏ should͏͏ be͏͏ between͏͏ 40-60͏͏ psi.͏͏ If͏͏ it’s͏͏ too͏͏ high,͏͏ installing͏͏ a͏͏ pressure͏͏ regulator͏͏ can͏͏ protect͏͏ your͏͏ plumbing͏͏ system͏͏ from͏͏ long-term͏͏ damage.
If͏͏ your͏͏ water͏͏ pressure͏͏ seems͏͏ too͏͏ low,͏͏ it͏͏ might͏͏ indicate͏͏ a͏͏ hidden͏͏ leak,͏͏ a͏͏ problem͏͏ with͏͏ the͏͏ main͏͏ water͏͏ supply,͏͏ or͏͏ a͏͏ buildup͏͏ inside͏͏ your͏͏ pipes.͏͏ If͏͏ your͏͏ pressure͏͏ fluctuates͏͏ frequently,͏͏ it’s͏͏ a͏͏ good͏͏ idea͏͏ to͏͏ have͏͏ a͏͏ professional͏͏ take͏͏ a͏͏ look to make a diagnosis.
Protect the Plumbing System in Your Home
A͏͏ little͏͏ plumbing͏͏ maintenance͏͏ can͏͏ go͏͏ a͏͏ long͏͏ way͏͏ in͏͏ keeping͏͏ your͏͏ home͏͏ running͏͏ smoothly.͏͏ By͏͏ checking͏͏ for͏͏ leaks,͏͏ keeping͏͏ drains͏͏ clear,͏͏ maintaining͏͏ your͏͏ water͏͏ heater,͏͏ and͏͏ preparing͏͏ for͏͏ cold͏͏ weather,͏͏ you͏͏ can͏͏ avoid͏͏ costly͏͏ repairs͏͏ and͏͏ unexpected͏͏ breakdowns.
No matter͏͏ how͏͏ careful͏͏ you͏͏ are,͏͏ plumbing͏͏ issues͏͏ can͏͏ still͏͏ arise though When͏͏ they͏͏ do,͏͏ it’s͏͏ always͏͏ best͏͏ to͏͏ call͏͏ in͏͏ an͏͏ expert.͏͏ Understand your limits so that you don’t accidentally make a bad situation worse by trying to fix something you can’t. Expert plumbers have specialized knowledge and tools which can be used to repair and protect the pipes within your home to get things running once again.
