Valentine’s Day is the perfect time of year to express love and care for the special people in our lives. One way to do that is to ensure a safe, healthy, and functional home for your family. Show some love to your plumbing system this Valentine’s Day with the following tips and information.
Love Your Drains
Your drainage system is an essential part of your plumbing system that ensures all wastewater from your home is safely and efficiently expelled. This system helps to keep your home free of odors, minimizes the risk of mold in your indoor air, and maintains efficiency.
However, drains are often narrow and can clog easily. Everyday objects like soap, hair, toilet paper, food particles, and grease can stick inside drainpipes, trapping other particles and forming stubborn blockages over time. When left unaddressed, these clogs can lead to slow drainage, backups, unpleasant odors, pipe bursts, and water damage.
You can show your drains love by installing mesh drain covers over the drain openings to capture particles before they flow down your drainpipes. Also, be careful of what you let pass down the drain. Hair, waste food particles, and general wipes should be disposed of in your trash can.
Additionally, don’t push clogs further down the drain with a snake pipe or other store-bought tools that you aren’t trained how to use. You are only compacting the blockage further. Sometimes, the excessive force used while pushing the particles can damage your pipes, leading to leaks or other problems.
If you have a slow-moving drain, particularly in the kitchen, try using a simple mixture of equal parts baking soda and vinegar to clear it away before taking extreme measures. When baking soda and vinegar mix, they create a fizzing reaction that may help to break down organic clogs (food, grease, hair, and soap scum), making it easier to flush away. Avoid using chemical drain cleaners. They are caustic and can damage your pipes.
Treat Your Garbage Disposal With Utmost Care
Your garbage disposal quickly grinds food scraps into tiny particles that can easily pass through the drainage system. If you want to keep it in its optimal condition throughout its lifespan, there are a few things you should pay attention to.
Run cold water through the disposal while it is being used. Once all food particles go through the system, keep the cold water running for a few minutes to wash away particles that may have stuck on the blades or walls of the disposal unit before turning it off.
Don’t use hot water when running the garbage disposal. Hot water will liquify fats and grease, which can lead to clogs further down your pipes.
Make sure that you perform routine maintenance on your garbage disposal system frequently. Run a mixture of ice cubes and salt down the unit to dislodge debris and sharpen the blades. Flush the disposal with warm, soapy water to remove any remaining residues.
If your garbage disposal unit is older than eight years, consider replacing it. Old, worn-out systems break down frequently, consume a lot of power, and may cause safety hazards, such as the risk of electrical shocks, fires, and leaks.
Check for Leaks
Get into the habit of regularly checking your plumbing system for leaks. Even small drips can cause devastating damage and significantly increase your water bills.
For example, a leaky faucet can waste up to eight gallons of water in a day, while running toilets squander up to 200 gallons. Leaking pipes can create a perfect breeding ground for mold, fungi, and bacteria growth.
Signs of hidden leaks you should watch out for include low water pressure, a sudden increase in water usage, musty odors, peeling paint or wallpaper, water stains, and foundation cracks. You can also run a simple test where you turn off all water outlets and systems in your home, then check the water meter to see if its reading changes after an hour or two.
If you suspect you have a leak, call a plumber immediately. Our team has special tools that can be used to locate the points of leaks easily. We can then fix them without the need for extensive excavation or demolition.
Improve Your Water Quality
Poor-quality water is one of the greatest threats to your plumbing system, home, and health. Dissolved minerals in your water often build up on the inside of your pipes, cause leaky faucets, damage water systems (such as water heaters and boilers), and imbalance the water pressure. Hard water wastes soap and detergent, creates unsightly stains on sinks, tubs, and toilets, forms limescale inside pipes and appliances, and isn’t pleasant to drink. Worse, if harmful microorganisms contaminate your water supply, they can pose serious health risks to you and your family.
Testing your water and installing the appropriate filtration system can help mitigate these issues. A whole-house water filtration system is often the best solution because it treats water as it enters your home. This ensures that even your supply pipes will benefit from clean water running through them, significantly reducing the risk of corrosion and sediment build-up.
If you have a hard water problem, consult with our team to install the best type of water softener for your home. Water softeners remove calcium, iron, and magnesium from your water supply, making it safer and better tasting. It also prolongs the life of your appliances.
You can also improve your water quality by updating old pipes and faucets. Old, galvanized pipes are prone to rusting, which leaches harmful metals into your water supply. Upgrading to copper or high-quality PVC can significantly enhance your water quality and overall plumbing system since they are resistant to corrosion and buildup and don’t leach. Besides, they can last up to 60 years in ideal conditions with normal water pressure and regular maintenance.
Schedule Professional Plumbing Maintenance
Call in a qualified plumber from our team to inspect and service your plumbing system so that it will operate smoothly. We will examine pipes, drains, fixtures, and appliances to identify potential issues like signs of wear and tear, clogs, and leaks. We will also check your water pressure, perform necessary repairs and replacements, and test for backflow.
Proper maintenance will significantly reduce the chances of unexpected plumbing emergencies and costly repairs, extend the life of your plumbing and appliances, and help you save money on utility bills. The best part is that you need only one maintenance appointment per year to enjoy all these benefits.
Contact A to Z Dependable Services for More Information
You can count on A to Z Dependable Services in Niles, OH, to keep your plumbing system running smoothly and efficiently on Valentine’s Day and beyond. Our experts will service, repair, and upgrade your plumbing system to ensure your system is in top-notch condition, including drain cleaning through high-pressure jetting. You can also call us for heating, cooling, and indoor quality solutions to make your home a safe, love-filled haven.
Call A to Z Dependable Services today to repair, maintain, or replace your plumbing system in Niles, OH.
