Since starting this plumbing blog, one of our main goals has always revolved around providing real plumbing tips that anyone could implement. Given how complex a complete household plumbing system is, it can be a little overwhelming to keep tabs on every single component. This week’s blog is going to be short and sweet, while getting straight to the point. I’m going to provide 5 of our favorite plumbing tips that anyone could use. A common theme throughout will be ensuring you get the maximum years out of the various elements, while avoiding any unnecessary repairs along the way. After all, isn’t that our main goal when it comes to household plumbing? With that being said, let’s go ahead and start running through a few plumbing tips you can utilize right away!
Locate Your Shut-Off Valve and Show All Occupants Where It Is
First and foremost, make sure you and everyone living in the house knows where the water main shut-off valve is located. No matter if you just moved in or have lived in the house for years, this is an important tidbit worth knowing. There’s no saying when you might need to use it, but it will certainly help mitigate any damages in the event of an emergency. As for locating it, most shut-off valves are located in the basement within a few feet of where the water enters the house. If there’s no basement or it’s not located in a general living area, then it’s most likely in a crawl-space.
Know Your Toilet’s Capabilities
When it comes to homeownership, there’s no doubt it can be frustrating when various plumbing fixtures get clogged up. Even if it’s simply a minor clog with the toilet, sink or any other drain, it can certainly be a headache. In terms of your toilet, it’s pretty straightforward what can and can’t be flushed down it. Limit it to human waste and toilet paper. If you and everyone in your household follows those simple instructions, you won’t have to worry about a thing. Have a trash can nearby that can take care of wet wipes, baby wipes, facial tissues and any other garbage in general!
Don’t Forget to Clean Your Showerhead
With most plumbing fixtures, they’re being used each and every day. As such, this daily wear and tear can cause some pressure on the fixture, and ultimately leave the homeowner with two options: (1) opt for regular maintenance to get the maximum years out of it or (2) replace the fixture altogether. While a new showerhead certainly wouldn’t be considered a major investment, if you could possibly avoid an unneeded expense, why not?
Over time, all showerheads will show some signs of deterioration. That could mean the color starts to dull out a little bit and it loses its overall shine. Or it could come in the form of a calcium buildup that ends up clogging a few of the openings. In any case, it certainly won’t look new and will eventually start diminishing in terms of effectiveness. Having said that, luckily it’s fairly easy to remove these mineral deposits in your showerhead. You’ll simply want to unscrew the showerhead, soak it in a bowl of white vinegar for 8-10 hours, remove it and rinse it in warm water. After this, you can take a toothpick and knock out any deposits that might still be wedged in the openings. Once that’s completed, re-install and be amazed by the difference some cleaning makes!
Regular Maintenance Goes a Long Way
Just as we mentioned above, regular maintenance is an important piece to keeping your plumbing system operating properly. It will not only ensure all of your fixtures work as expected, but also give you a much better chance at getting the maximum years out of each individual investment. And when it comes to plumbing fixtures/appliances, your water heater is certainly one of the more expensive components.
As is the case with most of your plumbing system, routine maintenance is fairly straightforward. With your water heater, one activity you’ll want to do at least once a year is flush out the water heater. As we’ve mentioned before here on the blog, sediment will build up at the bottom of your tank over time. When enough of it starts to build up, it can negatively affect the water heater’s performance and ultimately force it to work harder to do its normal duties. To take care of this issue, we recommend performing an annual flush. This will drain out all of that sediment build-up and refill with fresh water.
Is your water heater starting to show signs of deterioration? Maybe it doesn’t provide enough hot water or has been making weird rumbling noises? In any case, when you start shopping for a new water heater, you may notice there’s a nearly endless supply of options on the market. From the various manufacturers to sizes and types, it can be overwhelming. Check out our recent blog HERE that walks you through which brands we recommend and how to decide what size will fit your household best!
Fix Leaks Right Away
In the plumbing world, it’s safe to say not all leaks are the same. Sometimes a leak can be a true plumbing emergency and cause significant water damage, while other times it is simply a running toilet that may seem like a minor issue. The commonality between the two? Water is being wasted! While the first instance is presenting far more severe repercussions, you’re going to be spending more on your water bill regardless. Household leaks wasting water is such a problem that the EPA has named a week in March as “Fix a Leak Week.”
To provide further context, let’s take a look at some numbers presented by the EPA. They state, “The average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.” Now is this going to make a massive difference on your water bill? If it’s just a dripping faucet or worn-out toilet flapper, chances are not. However, if you let it sit for extended periods of time, it can definitely add up. Given these are both relatively easy repairs, why not get them taken care of right away and eliminate any potential future concerns? With that being said, our final plumbing tip for all homeowners is to take care of plumbing issues/leaks the moment you notice something is wrong. Don’t wait for anything terrible to happen for you to realize you have a plumbing problem on your hands.
Need Some Plumbing Help in the Kansas City Area?
I hope this blog provided you with helpful tips on managing your own plumbing system. We understand plumbing problems can be a frustrating time for homeowners. Fortunately, with some general plumbing knowledge and routine maintenance, you can prevent some of those issues from occurring. Yes, sometimes plumbing issues are inevitable, but there’s no denying that a little regular maintenance can go a long way.
Our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing currently services the entire Kansas City area, as well as all of the surrounding cities. Whether that be Lee’s Summit, Liberty, Smithville, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Belton or anywhere else, we have you covered. Give us a call today at (816) 348-3481 for a free quote on any potential plumbing project you need help with!