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Water can cause severe damage in your home. A plumbing problem can cause tremendous damage to your pipes, your home, and everything inside, including furniture, photographs, and treasured family heirlooms. Insurance can cover the monetary expense but nothing can bring back the precious mementos that you have collected.
Water damage is a huge concern for homeowners in Haslet, TX, but it isn’t the only problem you can have with your plumbing. Another big problem is water waste. If you have a running toilet or a dripping faucet, you could be wasting thousands of gallons of water during the course of a year. This affects not only costs you a lot in terms of money but it also hurts the environment as a whole. Luckily, your plumbing service can help.
As a homeowner, you want to reduce your expenses as much as possible. In order to do this, you need to do your part to keep your plumbing system as healthy as possible. Here are a few ideas on how your plumbing service can help you take better care of your plumbing system.
Stop That Running Toilet
A great place to start is with your running toilet. If you are tired of jiggling the handle to get your toilet to stop running, contact your Haslet, TX plumbing service for help. Every time your toilet runs for no reason, it is wasting gallons of water. By the end of the year, you will have wasted a substantial amount of money on water bills.
Before you throw any more of your money away, have your local plumbing provider check out the inner workings of your toilet. They can change out the damaged parts and replace your working parts quickly and without breaking the bank. It will certainly cost less than continuing to pay for thousands of gallons of water you aren’t using.
If you want to increase your savings, you can check with your professional plumbing service in Haslet, TX about energy efficient toilet models. There are several options you may not be aware of, including dual flush toilets and ultra low flow models. Your plumbing service can help you decide on which toilet model would save you the most each month.
Keep Your Toilets Clean
A clean toilet is more important for its proper functioning than you may realize. There are tiny jets located all along the inside of your toilet’s rim. These jets may be small but they play an important role in the flushing of your toilet. Unless they are properly cleaned, they can easily become blocked by bacteria and mineral deposits.
When your toilet is thoroughly cleaned at least once a week, your toilet will be able to work much better. Plus, you will get rid of the disgusting and dangerous bacteria and germs that build up around your toilet.
Your toilet was made to dispose of liquid and solid organic waste. As a homeowner, you should make certain that other forms of trash are not being flushed down the toilet or may need help from your plumbing service. Things like paper trash, cigarette butts, and food scraps cannot break down properly in your sewer system. This leads to blockages and clogs in your sewer lines. If this happens, you may be facing a nasty, costly sewer repair from your plumbing service.
Make sure your toilet is being treated properly and not like a garbage disposal. Doing this will allow your toilet to handle the work it was designed to do and you and your plumbing service can keep your plumbing healthy and running smoothly for a longer time.
Beat Clogs Without Using Harsh Chemicals
Your drains can get clogged with hair, shampoo, soap, and other debris. Many people think they should run to the store for chemical clog removers as soon as the water backs up in the sink. However, you could be causing more trouble to your plumbing system by doing this. Your plumbing service can help you avoid damage to your plumbing.
The truth is, these harsh chemical products don’t solve your clog problem. They offer a quick fix that makes you think the problem is gone. However, they do not really get rid of serious clogs. These chemical clog removers can be caustic to your health, your piping, and the environment. Your plumbing service can unclog your pipes without these caustic chemicals.
Instead of reaching for a jug of chemicals the next time you get a clogged pipe, you should try plunging the clog. If this does not fix the issue, you may have a major clog and should contact your plumbing service for help. Your professional plumbing service has the specialized tools needed to do the job efficiently, without causing any damage to your home or the environment.
Watch What You Put in Your Garbage Disposal
Your garbage disposal can be a real asset in your home, as long as it is being used properly. Just because it is called a garbage disposal, it should not be treated like a garbage can. Your plumbing service will advise you that there are some things that simply do not belong in your garbage disposal.
So, what kind of things could be damaging your garbage disposal? Among the items you should not put down your kitchen garbage disposal are starchy foods, like rice, pasta, and potatoes. These things can expand in your pipes, even just the potato peels. As you put more and more down the disposal, you could be heading for a major clogged pipe.
Oils and fats are another thing to avoid. When you pour these things into your disposal, they can turn to solids in the pipes. This can lead to serious clogging problems and leave buildup in your system that will be tough to remove.
Finally, do not put bones down the garbage disposal. It was not designed to handle the tough, hard bones left over from your meal. If you continue to try to get rid of bones in your garbage disposal, you will probably not have a working garbage disposal very long.
Another way to avoid trouble with your garbage disposal is to always use cold water with it. The cold water helps keep the blades sharp and keeps any oils moving through your plumbing system. You should keep running the water for a minute or two after using the disposal, for best results.
Check Your Water Pressure
Low water pressure is easy to diagnose. You can tell when you shower or run the faucets that the water pressure is not high enough. Low water pressure could be a symptom of a clogged pipe somewhere in your system. But what many people don’t realize is that water pressure that is too high is a bad thing, as well.
If the water pressure in your home is too high, it puts a constant stress on your whole plumbing system. As time passes, this could lead to a breakdown of your pipes and joints. So, how do you know when the pressure is too high?
Your home water pressure should be somewhere between 40 and 80 psi, with 45 as the standard. If your water pressure reading is higher than this, your plumbing system is under much more stress and wear than necessary. To fix the problem, you can have your Haslet, TX plumbing service install a pressure reducing valve on your water main. This device will help regulate the water pressure coming into your house, protecting your plumbing from unnecessary wear and tear and keeping it working better for longer.
Winterize Your Plumbing System
Before the cold weather settles in, make sure you have done everything possible to protect your pipes from the frigid winter temperatures. When the water in your pipes freezes, it expands, setting you in line for a burst pipe. You can have your plumbing service install a device that monitors the temperature in your pipes, to let you know when trouble is likely. Without this monitoring system, you may not even realize when your plumbing is in danger.
You should start the winterizing process by making sure all hoses are disconnected from all outdoor faucets and that all shutoff valves are closed. You will need to make certain that all exposed pipes are properly wrapped in foam insulation before the temperatures plummet. This is the best thing you can do to protect them from the freezing temperatures outside.
If you like to head for warmer temperatures when winter arrives, there are some things you need to do to protect your pipes from freezing while you are away. You will need to shut off your water main before you head out of town. Then, find the faucet that is the farthest away from the water main. Let this faucet drain out all the water in your pipes, so there will be nothing inside them to freeze and expand. And be sure to set your thermostat on around 60 degrees, so the house will not get too cold while you are gone.
Take Care of Small Leaks Quickly
Many Haslet, TX homeowners have seen what a major leak in a pipe can do. However, what most people don’t realize is that most big leaks start off as small leaks that could be easily and quickly fixed.
Small leaks are easy to overlook, but that is a dangerous game to play with something as crucial as your plumbing. In some situations, the leak leaves a discolored spot on the wall or spot. In other cases, there is no sign to let you know that you have a leak until you get your utility bills. Both circumstances can lead to a lot of wasted water and a stream of unnecessarily high water bills.
To make things even worse, persistent water leak that has been ignored for a long time may not be covered by your insurance. You could have to pay for all your repairs out of your own pocket. Plus, even small leaks can rot away your home’s wood frame, creating an expensive repair and remodel job. This wet wood can cause a perfect environment for spreading toxic mold throughout your entire home.
As soon as you notice a leak, even a tiny one, you should contact your Haslet, TX plumbing service for assistance. By taking care of leaks as soon as they happen, you can keep your plumbing in better shape and your home healthier and stronger.
Have a Professional Home Plumbing Inspection Every Year
The best way to avoid plumbing problems is to have your system inspected once a year. This will help you keep your plumbing in great shape and help you stop potential problems before they can happen.
Get in touch with your plumbing service professional and schedule annual inspection for your home. When they arrive, they will check your whole plumbing system, including toilets, faucets, water pressure, drains, piping, and more, to look for any issues you may have. Your trusted plumbing service will give you advice on how to take care of any problems and make sure your plumbing is working well. With an inspection every year, you could keep your plumbing in great shape and reduce your risk of future plumbing problems.
Invest in a Smart Home Monitoring and Leak Detection System Upgrade
There are some terrific smart home systems available today. One of the best for your plumbing system is the plumbing monitoring and leak detection system. This technology allows you to keep track of even the smallest changes in your plumbing’s flow.
This smart home technology can determine tiny leaks in your system, so you can take care of them before they have time to damage your home. It monitors your water pressure and flow rate, so you don’t have to worry about problems. Many brands include a daily health test, so you can keep up to the moment with any issues. Most come with an app, so you can get your alerts as they happen from the convenience of your mobile phone. This app also allows you to control your plumbing system from anywhere in the world, so you can shut off your water and perform other tasks without returning home.
Contact us at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth for more information about how our plumbing service can keep your plumbing system in great shape.