Photo By evgenyatamanenko at istock
Just bought a new home in Mansfield, TX? As exciting as this time may be, there are going to be a lot of new challenges you will have to face. Owning a home is rewarding, but it is also extremely stressful since you are now responsible for every major system in your home. Even if you purchased a new home, things can still go wrong. It is to your benefit to learn how to make minor repairs and troubleshoot big problems before they become major issues. Treating your plumbing system right is one great way to make sure that you don’t have to call the plumber any time soon.
Believe it or not, a lot of major plumbing issues that result in a call to an emergency plumber are the result of simple misuse of the system or user errors. Even in older homes where plumbing may need a bit more attention, a lot of phone calls are caused by clients either misusing or stressing out their plumbing system. Reading a bit about good plumbing habits and then making everyone in your household aware of them can help keep expenses down for awhile.
Either way, there are some things that you need to learn about your plumbing system, and it is better to familiarize yourself now. For instance, do you know where your water main is? This is not something you want to be running to find in the middle of an emergency flooding situation following a pipe bursting. Even if you are just making a simple repair, you need to be able to find your water main. If you don’t know where it is, head down to your basement or the bathroom on the lowest floor and start looking around until you do. For those who tend to be forgetful, double check with your plumber on locations make a note on your phone or scribble down the location on a notepad. You will thank yourself later.
This is just one of the many things that a new homeowner has to figure out about their plumbing system. The following is a comprehensive list of how to treat your plumbing system properly. Learning a thing or two about plumbing will keep you from calling the plumbing within the next month within any luck, although it is not a bad idea to ask around and have the number of an expert plumber in your phone in case of an unforeseen emergency.
Buy the Right Plunger for the Job
Most people don’t think about a plunger until they need it, but an overflowing toilet is not the right time to run to Wal-Mart or your local hardware store. It’s a good idea to always have a plumber on hand, and if there are two floors to your home you may want to consider keeping a plunger on both floors. However, before buying a plunger you want to make sure you get the right size.
You can buy multiple types of plungers. Some are made for the sink or tub while others are made for the toilet. In general, if you have plumbing issues with our tub or sink you will need a cup plunger. If you are only worried about your toilets then you will need to buy a flange plunger. Just because you haven’t had to use a plunger yet doesn’t mean you never will. A plumber will confirm that.
Homeownership is much different than renting, and a clog in the toilet can be costly if not promptly taken care of. Even if a plunger isn’t a very impressive housewarming purchase, make sure to toss at least one or two in your shopping cart. One day down the road you will be glad you did.
Pay Attention to What Goes Down Your Kitchen Sink
Out of all of the drains in your home, your kitchen sink is the most likely to get clogged. Ask any plumber, and they will tell you that they regularly troubleshoot clogs in the kitchen sink. This is because it is easy to toss dozens of household substances down the kitchen sink that have no business in a drain.
Common issues arise from people washing fats, oil, and grease down the drain. It is very easy to just rinse and wash a greasy pan in the sink, but every time you do this a bit more grease slips down the drain. Think about what happens if you don’t get to the greasy pan right away, the grease turns into a hard solid. Eventually, after you flush enough grease down your sink it hardens and sticks to the sides of your pipes. This can cause a clog or a severe obstruction that results in a leaking or burst pipe. Instead, consider scrapping the grease or draining it into a container that you can properly dispose of later once full. If you think any of these things have gone down your disposal it might be a good idea to ask a plumber to check.
Soap can also be an issue implicated in a lot of kitchen sink clogs. When combined with minerals in hard water over time the oils from soap will build-up and eventually obstruct a pipe. This will cause water to back up and potentially sewage creating a huge mess in your kitchen. Of course, most people question how they can stop using soap in the kitchen sink since hand washing and dishwashing is a huge chore that takes place in the kitchen. First of all, consult a plumber to see if hard water in your area is an issue. If it is, consider installing a water softener which will immediately erase the issue
Finally, kitchen sinks tend to be clogged the most in homes that have a garbage disposal. This is because people think they can toss anything they want down the drain and the disposal will take care of it. Garbage disposals are made to grind food, not to pulverize it down into liquid form. If you continually toss large scraps down your sink eventually they will clog up and then you will not only have to deal with a clogged sink that doesn’t drain, but also a broken garbage disposal. Treat your garbage disposal like a backup in case food scraps slip by you accidentally, don’t use it interchangeably with your trash can and you can keep your kitchen sink in much better working condition. And have your plumber check it wh