Out of sight, out of mind. That’s your home’s plumbing, for the most part. And being tucked away behind walls or under cabinets makes it easy to take for granted – until something goes wrong. While you can’t prevent every plumbing problem, you can reduce their occurrence or severity with a little preventive maintenance.
Follow these tips to protect your plumbing and home from leaks, clogs, and a host of other headaches.
Install leak detectors. The truth is, leaks happen. In most cases, the difference between a minor problem and serious, costly damage is swift action. Install leak detectors under sinks, near a water heater, washing machine, or anywhere a leak can occur so you are notified immediately when water is where it shouldn’t be. Wi-Fi enabled models can even send a notification right to your smartphone.
Add anti-sweat valves to toilets. Steamy showers and humid days can cause condensation to build on and around a toilet, and even drip from the tank onto the floor. This is due to the difference between the cold water inside the tank and the warm air surrounding it. An anti-sweat valve installed where the hot and cold lines meet mixes a small amount of hot water with the cold to raise the water temperature and prevent sweating.
Put an end to water hammer with an arrestor. Do you ever hear a banging sound from somewhere within your plumbing pipes after you’ve turned off a faucet? It’s call “water hammer” which occurs when a valve or faucet is closed suddenly and the water inside the pipe slams into the closed valve. This is not only annoying but can loosen and break pipes. A water hammer arrestor absorbs the shock, protecting your pipes.
Prevent mineral build-up with a water softener. Hard water, containing high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and lime, can wreak havoc on your plumbing system and water-using appliances. As these minerals build up over time, they can shorten the lifespan of appliances, reduce water pressure, and even corrode pipes. As water passes through a whole-house water softener, hard water ions are removed and replaced with sodium ions, resulting in balanced water that won’t damage plumbing or appliances.
At Connor Plumbing, we don’t just fix problems, we help prevent them. It’s the kind of service that saves you money and a series of potential headaches. So, don’t wait for problems to occur. Contact us today to see what can be done to stop them.
