No homeowner would want to experience severe water problems that are stressful and would take too long to fix. That’s why it’s crucial to know how to maintain your supply pipes, sinks, faucets, drains, and other water connections. No matter how trivial or complex a water problem is, it’s paramount to prevent them from happening in the first place.
Water problems could yield repair expenses that would have been prevented if there were proper maintenance routines. Some of these problems could even affect your family’s health, like water discoloration, odor, and molds on piping. Before such extremities happen, it pays to know the right pointers in avoiding such issues.
The following tips will guide you in avoiding water problems at home:
- Inspect Water Pressure
This issue can be resolved with a water softener when you have hard water. But when trouble happens with inconsistent water pressure, it pays to have a water pressure gauge ready to help with the inspection.
This mechanical tool helps measure the water pressure of your home. It usually comprises a pipe, threaded nut, and dial indicator and is responsible for ensuring your water supply uses the correct pressure. This is an excellent investment for any household indeed.
Over-pressured pipes are among the most common plumbing problems. A water pressure gauge measures the force exerted to push water through a water system. Also, it makes sure no leaks or changes in pressure occur. Calculating compression ratios requires measuring absolute pressure, which includes ambient air.
Pipes and hoses can burst due to high water pressure, which becomes a disaster and causes water damage to your home. You can measure the pressure of your water by attaching a pressure gauge to the outside of a faucet. This allows you to monitor the pressure regularly, and you can call a plumber if there are abnormalities.
- Pay Attention To Your Appliances
Many appliances use water in your home. It could be reverse osmosis water filtration for your drinking water system, washing machines for laundry, or dishwasher in the kitchen. You must keep an eye on all of these appliances. It’s not uncommon for dishwashers to leak water on the kitchen floor when they malfunction. Even when you thoroughly mop up the water, this can increase the risk of water damage.
Occasionally, certain areas in your kitchen can develop mold if it happens too often. Water leaking from these appliances can trigger algae and other bacterial growth, so you must know how to operate and maintain these appliances.
- Monitor Your Water Bills
You might not always be able to see or reach leaks in parts of your home. But one thing you can check is your water bills. This can determine and reflect the money loss from water wastage because some leaks are undetected. You can find this out by reviewing and comparing your old and new bills. Water usage may have increased significantly if your fixtures and pipes leak.
An ignored or undetected leak can cause considerable damage. One way to resolve the issue is to have a plumber conduct a thorough inspection of your home’s plumbing systems. If you haven’t found the root cause, it’s best to let the pros take charge. After all, there are many benefits of hiring a professional emergency plumber.
- Check Your Sinks And Drains Regularly
Avoid draining grease down the drain to maintain a healthy sink and drain. This is an easy tip but is crucial in ensuring clog-free water connections. It doesn’t matter whether you use hot water to flush the pipes or clean clogged drains with baking soda; grease will still cling to the pipelines and can affect their quality over time. As a result, the water won’t flow as it should.
Chemical drain cleaners should also be used with caution. While it could be tempting to believe some of these cleaners can make the condition of your drains better, there are also possibilities of them making it worse. However, they can erode your pipes and cause leaks.
There are safer alternative practices to clear away clogs. You need to:
- Clean your drains regularly.
- Avoid grease and oil pouring into the drain.
- Clean out the strainers to remove debris and solids that may be flushed into the drain if left for a long time.
- Check your sinks and drain tabs as often as possible to detect early issues if there’s trouble.
Conclusion
Water problems can happen anytime to any home. The key to preventing them from getting worse is to ensure that your appliances, sinks, drains, water pressure, and water bills are all normal. Hopefully, the tips enclosed in this article can help you prevent any water problem that could lead to expensive repairs.