Maintaining Your Plumbing
Here is a list of simple maintenance tips to help prevent costly repairs.
General
- Fix leaky faucets promptly. In addition to wasting about 20 gallons of water a day, a leak can ruin your faucet set.
- Do not use caustic liquid drain openers on a drain that is completely clogged. It can severely damage your pipes.
- Periodically drain several gallons of water from your water heater. This removes sediment from the bottom of the tank to increase heating efficiency and prolong tank life.
- Wrap outdoor or crawl space pipes with electric heat tape or insulation to prevent freezing.
Kitchen & Bath
- Do not rinse fats or cooking oils down the drain. Liquid fats solidify in the cold drains pipes and create clogs.
- To extend the life of your garbage disposal: Use plenty of cold water when running; don’t over load; never dispose of bones, corn husks, or stringy fibrous material; never use a caustic drain opener; and always use tongs or pliers to free objects from the disposal – don’t use your hands.
- Check under sinks for moisture or small leaks. Leaks under sinks should be repaired quickly to avoid damage to cabinets and floors.
- Use a strainer in bathroom drains. This will prevent hair and soap pieces from clogging drains.
- Make sure overflow holes on tubs and vanity are clear and open to prevent water damage to floors and ceilings.
Freezing Weather
Our first suggestion is certainly for every home or building owner to know the location of the water lines. This is important in analyzing where the system might be vulnerable to problems such as freezing weather. Secondly, all adults in the home should know where the main water cut off valve is and ensure that they have the ability to turn the water off. (If a meter key is needed, these are available at Meetze Plumbing, 10009 Broad River Road, or most hardware stores.) If there is not an easily accessible cut off on the water line, one should be installed to lessen damage done by burst pipes as well as provide the ability to shut off water for other repairs or maintenance needs.
Any water line exposed to the elements should be protected and thoroughly insulated. For water lines in pump houses, it is helpful to have some source of light heat such as a heat lamp or some other source of heat in this area. Precaution should be taken to ensure that this solution follows all safety precautions.
Preventive maintenance would include protecting pipes from wind and closing foundation vents. During deep freezes, leave water rapidly dripping at each end of the house – hot and cold. (To keep from wasting the water you can collect it in the bathtub to use for watering houseplants, etc.) Additionally, it is important to always disconnect all outside hoses from the outside water faucets during winter months.
Insulation is helpful; however, protecting the pipes from direct exposure to weather is most effective. Insulation alone will not completely protect pipes from freezing.
If the house or building is unheated, a licensed plumber should winterize the system. Don’t forget outside buildings such as garages, work sheds and pool houses. If you take extended trips during the heavy winter season, you may want to consider turning the water off at the main water source during your absence. Be sure to remember to turn the breaker to the water heater off for this period of time as well. It is recommended that all heated areas remain heated during this time to prevent interior piping from freezing.
In the unfortunate event that water pipes become frozen, it is recommended that you turn the water off to the house to relieve the pressure on the line and allow mother nature to safely unthaw the pipes. Heat tape is one method that could be used against the frozen area of piping. Flame or other sources of heat to thaw pipes is not generally recommended as it may not be safe.
We would be happy to offer additional advice or guidance on protecting your home during winter months.
Home
| About Meetze Plumbing | Resume
| MPC Environmental Services
Ask A Plumber | Maintenance
Tips | Consumer Tips
Water Conservation | History
ofPlumbing
Meetze Plumbing
10009 Broad River Road
P.O. Box 1577
Irmo, SC 29063
Service: 732-3747
Residential: 732-6979
Commercial: 781-7894
Fax: 732-0171
E-mail: svcs@732-drip.com
Content: ©1998, Meetze Plumbing