Top 5 Preventative Maintenance Tips to Help You Protect Your Plumbing

Everything that uses water in your home, including all of your sinks, showers, baths, garbage disposal, refrigerator, washing machine, toilets and water heater, need to be maintained to prevent any significant plumbing problems from occurring. Fortunately, it is not too difficult to follow a checklist and staying on top of preventative maintenance, You often can avoid spending money on repairs that can pop us as surprises. Here’s a quick overview of the top preventative maintenance tips on your home’s plumbing.

• Clean your shower head: Every so often, you should remove and clean your shower head to get rid of accumulated sediment. This will help you maintain good water pressure in your shower.
• Fix leaking faucets and showers: If you see drips coming out of faucets and showerheads even when they’re turned off, it’s important you make the fix quickly, as the dripping faucet can waste a lot of water and potentially cause water damage. In many cases, it might be something as simple as swapping out a washer, something that will cost mere cents.
• Fix toilet leaks: A faulty seal near the valve seat can result in a toilet constantly running even if not being flushed. What happens is that over time, debris will build up around the valve seat and flapper, preventing a proper seal and causing water to continuously run. Repairing the inner mechanisms of your toilet by replacing those parts is simple and inexpensive and will save you a lot of money on your water bills.
• Practice good drain safety & keep a check on slow drains: You should always be careful about what you put down the drain. The best way to prevent blockages and pipes is to only flush or pour items down drains that belong there. This means human waste in toilets and in sinks avoiding pouring down fats, oils, large chunks of food, coffee grounds and other garbage. If you have drains that are slow, try using a plunger or hot water/vinegar to keep them moving freely. 
• Inspect exposed pipes, hoses and connected appliances: Keep an eye out for leaks around the home. If you see any visible signs of a leak, you should take immediate action to find the source of the leak and make the proper repairs.

For more preventative maintenance tips for your home plumbing or to arrange for an inspection, contact one of our experienced plumbers from PipeMasters today: info@pipemasters.ca or 289 404 9063. PipeMasters is part of Oakridge Plumbing Ontario Ltd. and serves the East GTA, Durham Region, North to Lindsay & Peterborough, out to Cobourg and all points in between. We do commercial too, supported by our Oakridge Plumbing Team. All Rights Reserved.