It is the start of a new decade, and the years ahead are sure to bring many surprises like digital marketing for plumbers and building maintenance. Many people want to know how to prepare their homes and be ready for any emergency. It is never too late to learn how to care for and maintain the plumbing in your home or business. To help you out, here are some helpful plumbing tips for 2020.
Know the Location of Your Main Water Shut Off Valve
This tip may seem like a no brainer, but many plumbing emergencies could be prevented, or at least significantly reduced by a quick turn of the main water shut off valve. Sometimes these valves are located outside your home, so make sure you know where yours is located.
Often if you can get to the main water shut off valve as soon as you notice a plumbing problem, it can save you a lot of headaches. This preventative measure will also give you time to call emergency plumbing and prevent a lot of damage to your home or business.
Don’t Ignore Leaks
We’re all familiar with that sound in the middle of the night, a drip, drip, drip of a faucet.
Not only is that tiny drip a waste of water, and can add up to 750 litres of water a day going down the drain, it also costs you a lot of money. Some leaks are not as easy to see; it helps to know what to look for:
- Keep an eye on your water bills each month to see if there are any spikes in usage, which could be signs of a leak.
- Watch for mould or musty smells. They could be a sign that water is leaking and pooling behind your walls.
Know the location of your Pipes
When working at heights, there’s nothing worse than finishing a new home or business renovation and putting the last small nails into a piece of trim only to hear a slight hiss – it means you’ve pierced a pipe and water is leaking all over the insides of your newly renovated wall. Be sure you know where your pipes run behind your walls to avoid accidental punctures.
Use Eco-friendly plumbing materials
If you are replacing old pipes or installing new ones, consider using eco-friendly products. PVC piping is difficult to recycle and often ends up filling up space in the landfill. Copper and Iron are also common pipe materials, but take a lot of energy to manufacture.
An eco-friendly alternative to PVC or metal pipes are polyethylene and polypropylene water pipes. They are plastic and easy use, but they are also easily recyclable and energy-efficient to manufacture.
Use A Vacuum to Clear Small-Object Clogs
If you or someone you know has accidentally dropped a small hard object down the drain, it can be challenging to remove it without further damaging your pipes. Instead of reaching for a plunger, which could force the object farther down the pipe, try using a wet-dry shop vacuum to suck it up and out.
Watch Out for Frozen Pipes
A common plumbing problem in tmm.he winter is frozen pipes. This is especially true for older houses with little or no insulation. Frozen pipes can cause a lot of damage by expanding ice in the pipes creating hairline or even large cracks. When the ice thaws, the pipes leak.
There are some things you can do to prevent further damage:
- If you have a frozen pipe, turn on a nearby faucet to relieve some of the pressure and give the melting ice somewhere to go.
- Be sure to insulate your pipes, especially those running along exterior walls.
- Turn off all exterior faucets and hoses in the fall.
Use these tips, and you can save yourself some money and prevent plumbing problems in your home and business.
