Steps You Can Take To Prevent Major Plumbing Disasters

There's a lot that can go wrong with your home's plumbing, and as professional plumbers, we get called in to deal with a lot of emergency situations that can get quite messy or cause significant damage to your home. In many cases, these situations could have been avoided entirely had the homeowner taken some simple steps to lower the risk of these types of disasters.

With this in mind, here are a few examples of some steps you can take to prevent some major plumbing disasters.

Watch what goes down your kitchen drain

A lot of plumbing emergencies in the kitchen can start when you let too many items go down your drain. Even if you do have a garbage disposal, it's still a good idea to keep a strainer in your sink to catch larger chunks of food and debris. Remember that your garbage disposal is not meant to grind up large pieces of food. In addition, never let grease, coffee grounds or rice go down your sinkthey'll sit in the drain and clog up over time.

Inspect all hoses and plastic lines

Your washing machine will have a rubber hose that provides water to it. You might also have plastic or rubber water lines that bring water to your refrigerator or dishwasher. Keep an eye on the condition of these hoses, and if you notice them breaking or growing brittle, repair or replace them to avoid leaks.

Know what you can and can't flush

Your toilet should only flush waste and toilet paper. Nothing else should go down the drainthat includes feminine hygiene products, paper towels, diapers and any other items. You should keep a garbage bin in a convenient spot in your bathroom to toss out these items. Otherwise, you could create a major clog in your toilet.

Know where to locate the main shutoff valve

In the event of a plumbing emergency, such as a burst pipe, you'll need to shut off the water to your home until it can be repaired. Make sure you and everyone else in your home know where that main water shutoff valve is, so you can quickly and easily access it in an emergency situation. It's also a good idea to test that valve every now and then to make sure it works properly and to check and see if there is a leak around the valve itself.

Leave your pipes alone

If you have an unfinished basement (or unfinished section of the basement), there's a good chance you'll have pipes running along with the ceiling. It's common for homeowners to hang things from these pipes for the sake of convenience, such as hanging up wet clothes after they come out of the dryer. These pipes aren't designed to be load-bearing - it's best to avoid hanging anything at all from them to prevent issues with the pipes bursting or disconnecting from their source.

For more tips to help you avoid some potential plumbing disasters, contact us today at Oakridge PipeMasters. The licensed professionals at PipeMasters can help: info@pipemasters.ca or (289) 404-9063. PipeMasters is part of Oakridge Plumbing Ontario Ltd. All rights reserved.