How To Prevent The Most Common Household Plumbing Emergencies

Most people don’t think about their plumbing until something goes wrong. And once an issue arises, it can cause major financial and structural damage. Even a minor plumbing problem can harm the entire internal plumbing structure of the house.

However, most plumbing emergencies can be easily prevented by taking regular care of the plumbing system while prepping for the future. Here are a few of the most common plumbing emergencies and how you can avoid them:

Blocked Drains

Blocked drains can turn your home into a disaster zone, and tend to happen at the worst of times. It’s important to maintain your drains and keep them from blockages. There are a few easy ways you can do this.

To help prevent a blocked drain, you should throw out all food leftovers instead of throwing them down the drain. These food compost might seem like small bits of scrap, but they can add up to create a much bigger issue.

Another thing you want to do is install hair traps in all tubs and shower drains to keep hair strands from accumulating. These hair traps are fairly cheap and they catch-all hair before they can make their way to the drain. Every other day, pull the hair catcher out, and dispose of the hair in the trash.

Lastly, you want to avoid throwing any bit of cooking grease down your kitchen sink. When warm grease slides down your pipes, it can begin to conceal and set into a clump, collecting bits of other debris that make its way down. This can result in a major clog that get worse over time—particularly because you can’t see what’s going on in your pipes.

Leaky Faucets

Although most homeowners don’t usually consider leaks as emergencies, they are very common, and people don’t know what to do with them. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, household leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water each year. Furthermore, the average household wastes 10,000 gallons of water due to small leaks. Because of this, you can run a costly bill or negatively impact the environment if you don’t take care of your leaks.

Many leaky faucets occur because of an old sink and/or faucet. A simple replacement or repair is a swift and definite fix to this problem. You should reach out to a plumber before an issue occurs. Fix It Right Plumbing, https://www.fixitrightplumbing.com.au/plumber-frankston/, a Frankston-based plumbing company, says, “Generally, you should have your plumbing checked every few years—even if you don’t notice any issues. Preventative maintenance is far more cost-effective than repairs. A thorough plumber will be able to tell you whether you can benefit most from a new faucet, or simply need a quick fix.”

Burst Pipes

There are many reasons a pipe might burst. Cold weather (one of the more common reasons for burst pipes) could cause water to expand in the pipes, and freeze and burst. Blockages, expanding tree routes, and excess water pressure can also result in piping breakages. There are a few ways you can prevent your pipes from bursting.

First and foremost, keep your home a neutral heated temperature if you plan to be away for an extended period of time. Today, there are plenty of systems and tools to help you keep things running smoothly when you aren’t in the house. For example, take a look at this list of smart thermostats, which allows you to control your home’s temperature remotely. You’ll also want to allow hot water to drip slowly from time to time during cold temperature.

Lastly, professional insulation can help prevent your pipes from freezing. This is particularly important if you live in or are moving to areas that experience freezing weather. You’ll also need to double-check that there are no opportunities for leakages, which could allow cold air to seep into vulnerable areas of the piping.

Overflowing Toilets

Clogged, overflowing toilets can result in huge water loss, damage to surrounding areas (like a wooden floor), or even exposed germs. Many homeowners don’t realize that simple mistakes that they make in their household can lead to clogged toilets.

If your toilet starts to overflow, locate the water supply valve underneath the toilet cistern and turn it off to prevent excessive water from flowing into the bowl. Then, you’ll need to speak to a plumbing company about assessing the damage.

Still, there are ways to prevent clogged toilets. For starters, only toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet. Even baby wipes or flushable wipes can cause serious plumbing issues as they clog up the pipes. This is because other items don’t break down in the same manner as toilet paper. You’ll also want to avoid flushing too much toilet paper, and keeping your toilet tank clear.