One of the most important aspects of being a homeowner is maintaining your home’s plumbing system. Maintenance includes having inspections, being careful what you put down your drains, insulating pipes, checking for leaks, avoiding using chemical drain cleaners, and not treating your toilet as a trash can.

Having Inspections

To maintain your home’s plumbing system, it is vital to have periodic inspections. Plumbing experts recommend that you have your home’s plumbing system inspected every two years.

Being Careful What You Put Down Your Drains

You must be careful what you allow to go down your drains. Throw all food into the trash can, and do not allow it to go down the drains as food can lead to clogs and backups. Additionally, dump all grease and oil into the trash can because grease and oil can lead to damaging clogs once they solidify. Even if you have a garbage disposal, this is not designed to dispose of large amounts of food.

Insulating Pipes

Temperatures in Indianapolis, IN are known to fall below freezing during the winter months. Such temperatures put your pipes at risk of freezing and bursting. To avoid this, you must insulate your pipes, and this is especially helpful for pipes that are in unheated parts of your home.

Checking for Leaks

You must check for leaks periodically. Leaks account for tons of wasted water as well as property damage. You must also make use of leak detection services because some leaks, such as those inside the walls, beneath the floors, or in the ceilings, are not visible. Leaks that are not detectable are known as silent leaks, and these can cause the most damage as they are often missed, and homeowners do not realize they are a problem until there is serious water damage.

Avoid Using Chemical Drain Cleaners

When you have a clog, do not use chemical drain cleaners to clear it. Chemical drain cleaners can ruin your pipes over time because they contain corrosive agents. If you find you cannot clear the clog by using a drain snake, boiling water, or baking soda and vinegar, call a plumber for drain cleaning services.

Not Treating Your Toilet as a Trash Can

Toilets are only designed to handle human waste and toilet paper. Do not flush anything else down your toilets, including flushable wipes, cat litter, tampons, or paper towels. Flushing anything other than human waste can lead to serious clogs that will result in expensive repairs.

If you need an inspection on your home’s plumbing system or find you are contending with plumbing problems, contact JW’s Plumbing Services. We will inspect your plumbing and fix any problems we find. We will also provide tips to help you keep your plumbing functioning optimally.