How You Can Prevent Plumbing Leaks, Clogs and Flooding

You expect your home’s plumbing to run smoothly, but potential problems can hide in many places. Fortunately, you can avoid obstructions, leaks and floods with a little preventive maintenance. Here’s how you can keep your water flowing and your stress levels low.

1. Be Aware of What’s Going in the Drains

Many kitchen sinks may be fitted with a garbage disposal, but several things still instead of rinsed down the drain, including:

  • Grease, oil and cooking fat
  • Stringy foods like corn husks and celery stalks
  • Old food like boiled rice or coffee grounds
  • Solid objects such as gristle and animal bones
  • Anything that isn’t edible. Silverware and similar items may end up in the disposal and damage something when you turn it on.

2. Understand What Shouldn’t Be Flushed

Toilets are designed to safely remove human waste and toilet paper. Here’s what you should never flush:

  • Wet wipes
  • Paper towels
  • Cotton swabs and cotton balls
  • Women’s hygiene products
  • Diapers
  • Floss
  • Expired medication

3. Employ Mesh Strainers

An easy method to avoid clogs is to place drain strainers over your kitchen sinks and shower drains. They trap hair, bits of soap, old toothpaste and other debris as water flows down the drain. Regularly clean these strainers to keep your drains flowing freely.

4. Find the Main Shutoff Valve

Being knowledgeable about your plumbing system means knowing how to find your main water shutoff valve. This valve manages water flowing into your home, so knowing where it is means you can turn it off quickly in a plumbing emergency. It’s also wise to close this valve before going away for an extended period. Common locations for the main shutoff valve include the basement, near the water heater, in a utility closet or outside the home buried underground.

5. Install a Sump Pump

Installing a sump pump will go a long way toward preventing water damage, particularly in climates prone to high annual rainfall. This device extracts water that collects in the sump basin, generally installed in the floor of your basement, and expels it away from the house. For homeowners who already have a sump pump, make sure it’s in good shape by pouring water into the pit. As long as the pump activates and the pit drains, you’re all set. If it doesn’t work properly, you have time to call a professional to service it before another big thunderstorm rolls through.

6. Put in Flood Alarms

Similar to how smoke alarms help improve fire safety, flood alarms help prevent water damage. These wired or battery-operated devices detect water at the earliest stages of flooding or leaks, sounding an alarm to alert you. For further protection, connect smart flood alarms into your home security system. This alerts you on your phone as soon as water is detected, helping to address leaks before it leads to significant damage.

7. Put in a Backflow Valve

Experienced plumbers often suggest that homeowners install a backflow valve in the basement floor drain to stop sewage from flowing backward into their homes after heavy rainfall. Professionals can set up this strong layer of protection against sewage flowing back into the house.

Spot and Avoid Leaking

Now that we’ve covered best practices and useful plumbing accessories, let’s review some preventive steps you can take to avoid leaks, or worse, burst pipes.

Most of your home plumbing system is hidden, so water issues often go on for weeks until they create the potential for water damage. Regularly checking for leaks can help you identify problems quickly. Here are some ideas for you to try:

  • Look under the sink for signs of pooling water, rotting wood or mildew.
  • Keep an eye out for tiny leaks in your toilet by squeezing some drops of dye to the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl after 30 minutes without flushing, you’ve got a leak.
  • Inspect around and behind your plumbing appliances, including the dishwasher or washing machine, for signs of water damage or leaks.
  • Schedule a water meter test.
    • First, turn off all water in your home via the main water lines.
    • Then, walk outside to read the water meter. Check one more time in two hours, and do your best not to use any water before the test is done.
    • If the reading changes, it means there’s a leak somewhere.

Protect Your Pipes from Freezing

In climates with cold winters, helping protect the plumbing pipes is a good part of any plan to minimize the risk of freezing and bursting. Here is what you can do:

  • Insulate pipes in unheated areas like the basement, garage or attic using pipe insulation or heating tape.
  • Disconnect garden hoses from the spigots attached to your plumbing throughout the winter to prevent ice from forming inside the pipes.
  • Keep under-sink cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.

Trust Dependable Local Plumbers for Support

While you can carry out many preventive steps on your own to stop clogs, leaks and flooding, there are situations where you need Expert local plumbers to keep things flowing smoothly. That’s where can help. We work with some of the best plumbers supporting U.S. homeowners from coast to coast with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely thrilled with our services by next year, we will do whatever it takes to make it right. This industry-leading dedication shows how we ensure a complete sense of comfort in your life. For some of the best plumbing service that exceeds expectations, please contact us today

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