Welcome To Mr Speedy Plumbing Service!

Welcome To Mr Speedy Plumbing Service!

How To Keep Your Plumbing In Good Working Order

How To Keep Your Plumbing In Good Working Order

Keep Your Plumbing In Good Working Order By Not Doin DON’T Do These Ten Things.

So you’re experiencing plumbing problems again – toilets are clogged, drains are blocked. Who caused these problems? You did. Paper towels should not be flushed down the toilet, certain foods should not be flushed into the garbage disposal, hair and grease should not be allowed to enter any drain. To help you prevent clogs, overflows, backups and plumbing breakdowns, here is some advice from a master plumber about what NOT to do and how to avoid plumbing and drain problems in the home.

1. Don’t Use The Toilet As A Garbage Can

Plant in toilet
source: morguefile.com

Don’t flush anything down the toilet except human waste and toilet paper. People throw all kinds of things into the toilet in the belief that these things are “flushable”. Things like baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, make-up removal pads, toilet scrubbers, or cat litter should never go into the toilet – even if they are labelled “flushable”.

2. Don’t Use Those Colored Toilet Fresheners

Tank toilet fresheners may make the water look pretty and blue, but you should know that these tablets usually contain abrasive chemicals that can wear out the working parts inside the toilet tank. These tablets can also get stuck in the flush valve, preventing the toilet from flushing properly.

3. Don’t Use Drano or Other Chemicals

dont-use-drano

Chemicals don’t work to clear drains. They never get the job done right. Chemicals are dangerous and abrasive – they can injure people and damage plumbing pipes. Grease and hair are the main causes of bathroom drain stoppages – screens should be installed over all drains to keep these things out of your drains and sinks.

4. Don’t Push Your Garbage Disposal Too Hard.

Be gentle on your garbage disposal unit. Grease should never be poured into the garbage disposal – it solidifies and can cause a drain clog. Also, be careful about throwing fibrous food into the disposal – foods like celery and artichokes can cause big problems. And try not to flush too much food down the garbage disposal at any one time – feed garbage into the disposal slowly, and always use cold water to flush it down.

5. Don’t Be Ignorant – Know Where Your Main Water Valve is

You need to know where the main water shut-off valve is located in your home. You also need to know the location of every emergency shut-off valve in your house. You need to find out how to turn off these valves if an emergency arises. Next time you have a plumber visit your home, ask him to show you where these shut-off valves are and how to close them.

6. Don’t Be Without A Leak-Protection System

Water leak protection is important and should never be overlooked. For only a few hundred dollars you can get a water leak protection system that has an alarm and a main water shut-off in the event of a leak your sinks, water heater or dishwasher.

7. Don’t Forget To Replace Water Hoses

Water hoses eventually wear our and break. They don’t give you a warning when they are about to give way – they simply burst and suddenly you have a problem on your hands. Those rubber hoses on your washing machine and your dishwasher should be replaced every five years. We highly recommend you replace old rubber or plastic water hoses with new stainless steel hoses on all your water lines.

8. Don’t Continue To Use An Outdated Water Heater

You water heater will eventually succumb to rust and will wear out after about 8-12 years. If your water heater is twenty years old, don’t be surprised if you return from a vacation to find that the old thing has ruptured or burst and you now have a flood on your hands.

9. Don’t Mess With The Pressure Valve On Your Water Heater

For best results, your water heater needs to be drained about once a year so that the pressure valve and the temperature settings can be tested. Don’t try do this yourself. A professional needs to do this. If you do not remove the pressure valve correctly, pressure inside the tank can cause hot water to come spurting out all over the place, which can cause many problems including personal injury and damage to property.

10. Don’t Try to Resolve Plumbing Issues Yourself

Resolving a plumbing issue requires knowledge, experience, and the right equipment and tools. Don’t try and do it yourself – engage the services of a competent professional plumber who knows what he’s doing and has the tools to do the job right first time.

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