For those of you who follow our Facebook or Instagram pages, you likely know that there are a wide range of potential plumbing projects out there. From simply replacing a faucet to roughing in a new bathroom, there’s a reason why it’s important to hire a plumbing company with the experience necessary to take on any plumbing task. In any case though, as you’ll notice throughout our past blog posts, we like to provide detailed information about various aspects of one’s plumbing system. For instance, that could entail tips for homeowners looking to keep their plumbing system trouble-free throughout the winter months or even advice for anyone in the market for a faucet upgrade. Simply put, there are definitely plenty of possible topics to discuss!
This week’s blog post will be geared towards those homeowners with pets, particularly dogs and cats. We know that you love your furry friends and are here to provide a few plumbing-related tips for all pet owners. As always, if you ever need some plumbing help in the KC area, our team is ready to help! Simply give us a call at (816) 348-3481 to request a free estimate.
Now…what should pet owners keep in mind when it comes to their plumbing system?
Potential for Clogged Drains
Unsurprisingly, one of the most common jobs our residential technicians work on each and every year is drain cleaning. Whether it be a clogged sink drain, tub drain or anything else, it’s easy to tell when a drain is running slower than normal. Furthermore, as is the case with many other plumbing repairs, it’s important to avoid procrastination when scheduling to get it fixed. The last thing you want is a minor plumbing problem escalating into a major plumbing headache! The reason I’m highlighting drain cleaning first on this week’s blog post is because it’s not uncommon for homeowners to give their pet a bath in the tub. In doing so, if your pet does shed a little, keep in mind how these loose hairs could cause some trouble when they make their way down the drain. Add that in with any dirt or debris (that likely prompted the bath in the first place) and you could have a clogged drain starting to form!
The solution? Consider investing in a bathtub drain cover designed specifically for catching hair. They’re relatively inexpensive and you can find several options to pick from on Amazon. This small purchase will certainly help in keeping your drains running properly.
Leaving the Toilet Seat Up
Our next point is rather straightforward and included here with the intention being to keep your pets healthy. This tip is to keep your toilet seat down in the bathroom. The biggest reason for this is because of the cleaning products used to clean toilets. Not all cleaners are pet-friendly and as such, it’s always better to be safe than sorry! These cleaning products can leave behind residue and if your pet is one that enjoys checking out the bathroom, you will want to make sure they’ll still be safe.
So…just remind everyone in your household of this and you’ll have nothing to worry about. In addition, if you want to take an added precaution, you can specifically look for cleaning products that are pet-friendly! Even though this blog post is focused on plumbing-related tips, this methodology holds true for other household cleaning products as well. Some are pet-friendly. Some are not. That’s why it never hurts to do your research to ensure your furry friends are safe!
Any Exposed Pipes or Other Plumbing Components?
Just as dogs can be attracted to an open toilet seat, the same can be said about any loose objects that can be chewed on. While there’s generally not too much trouble that can arise from this, something you don’t want them to chew on would have to be anything plumbing-related. Luckily, several items, like water heaters, water softeners and sump pumps, are installed in an unfinished part of the basement and not readily accessible to your pets. Granted, if the unfinished part is open to your pets, make sure your sump pump pit has a lid on top. Otherwise, your pet could accidentally fall in the pit and might need some help getting out. Likewise, other components, such as garbage disposals, are located behind a cabinet door, so they shouldn’t be an issue either!
However, any exposed pipes or floor drains could be an easy target! For one, there are likely better things your pets can chew on instead of PVC pipes. And secondly, in the event that your dog has strong enough teeth to create an opening in the pipes, a plumbing emergency could soon arise! All in all, if there’s anything plumbing-related that can be easily seen, it might be worth coming up with a plan to avoid your pets from getting ahold of it.
Know What Can and Can’t Be Flushed
One of the easiest ways to avoid toilet troubles is to understand what can and can’t be flushed down them. Knowing this simple piece of information can be extremely useful in preventing avoidable plumbing problems. When it comes to the toilet, you can flush human waste and toilet paper. Anything else should be tossed in the trash can!
The reason why we’ve included this section here is largely for homeowners with cats. While it may seem much easier to simply flush the cat litter down the toilet (and some litter may even be categorized as “flushable”), it’s usually safest to just throw it away in the trash. Following this simple step will definitely limit the odds of any toilet-related plumbing problems popping up.
Call the Plumbing Pros at Stine-Nichols!
While some plumbing issues can be prevented, that isn’t necessarily the case with all of them! If you’re a pet owner, we hope you learned a thing or two about not only keeping your plumbing system in working order, but also ensuring your furry friends are safe too. After all, it’s one thing to prevent any avoidable plumbing repair bills, but it’s another thing to avoid any unnecessary trips to the vet for your pets!
Nonetheless, if you do find yourself faced with a plumbing problem and need someone to call, you’re always welcome to reach out to our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing. We provide residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services throughout the Kansas City area. Over the years, our team has had the opportunity to work with homeowners and businesses all around the Kansas City area, as well as many of the surrounding cities. Furthermore, our experienced team of plumbers have the ability to not only resolve any plumbing issue that may occur, but also provide advice to our customers on how they can limit their chances of the same issue popping up again in the future. I’m sure you would rather use your money in some way other than frequent plumbing repairs, right?
To request a free estimate, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE. You’ll be able to speak with a member of our team, who will discuss your project in more detail, go over pricing and schedule one of our technicians to complete the repairs. We look forward to hearing from you!