How to Prevent Plumbing Leaks, Clogs and Flooding

You expect your home’s plumbing to support daily chores and plumbing fixtures, but unseen troubles can hide everywhere. Thankfully, you can stop clogs, leaky pipes and even flooding with a little preventive maintenance. Here’s how to keep your water flowing and your stress in check.

1. Be Aware of What’s Going in the Drains

A lot of sinks in the kitchen may be equipped with a garbage disposal, but certain food items still not dumped into the drain, including:

• Grease, oil and cooking fat
• Stringy foods like corn husks and celery
• Old food like steamed rice or coffee grounds
• Solid objects like fruit pits and animal bones
• Anything that isn’t edible. Silverware and similar items may end up in the disposal and damage something when you turn it on.

2. Know What Not to Flush

Toilets are designed to dispose of human waste and toilet paper. Here’s what you should never flush:

• Baby and/or wet wipes
• Paper towels
• Cotton balls and swabs
• Feminine hygiene products
• Diapers
• Dental floss
• Out-of-date medications

3. Employ Drain Strainers

A simple way to lower the risk of a clog is to place drain strainers over your laundry, kitchen and shower drains. They collect hair, pieces of soap, old toothpaste and other debris as water enters the drain. Regularly clean these strainers to keep your drains working properly.

4. Find the Main Shutoff Valve

Being aware of your plumbing system means knowing how to find your main water shutoff valve. This valve regulates water coming into your home, so knowing where it is means you can turn it off quickly in a plumbing emergency. It’s also wise to shut off this valve before leaving town for an extended period. Common locations for the main shutoff valve include the basement, near the water heater, in a utility closet or outside the home in the ground.

5. Add a Sump Pump to Your Basement

Installing a sump pump can really help prevent floods, especially in climates prone to high annual rainfall. This device pumps out water that gathers in the sump basin, generally installed in the floor of your basement, and expels it away from the house. For homes that already have a sump pump, check it every now and then by pouring water into the pit. As long as the pump activates and the pit drains, it’s working fine. If it isn’t draining properly, you have time to call a professional to repair it before another rainstorm.

6. Put in Flood Alarms

Similar to how smoke alarms help improve fire safety, flood alarms help prevent water damage. These wired or battery-operated devices detect water at the earliest stages of flooding or leaks, triggering an alarm to alert you. For enhanced protection, include smart flood alarms into your home security system. This sends a notification on your phone after water is detected, helping to address leaks before they cause significant damage.

7. Put in a Backflow Valve

Many plumbers recommend you put in a backflow valve in the basement floor drain to stop sewage from flowing backward into their homes during heavy rainfall. Local expert plumbers can set up this effective defense against sewage flowing back into the house.

Learn to Recognize and Stop Leaks

Now that we’ve covered best practices and useful plumbing accessories, let’s review some preventive steps you can take to avoid leaks, or worse, burst pipes.

Most of your home plumbing system is hidden, so dripping pipes often go unnoticed until they are capable of significant water damage. Regularly checking for leaks can help you catch issues early. Here are some ideas for you to try:

• Check under the sink for signs of standing water, wood rot or mildew.
• Be on the lookout for slow leaks in the toilets by putting in some drops of coloring to the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl after 30 minutes without flushing, you have a leak.
• Inspect around and behind your plumbing appliances, including the dishwasher or washing machine, for signs of water damage or leaks.
• Conduct a water meter test.
  • To get started, shut off all water in your home via the main water lines.
  • Then, walk outside to read the water meter. Check it again in two hours, being careful not to use any water before the second reading.
  • If the reading is different, you know there’s a leak somewhere.

Prevent Your Pipes from Freezing

In cold climates, helping protect the plumbing pipes is vital if you want to avoid freezing and bursting. Here are some professional recommendations:

• Insulate pipes in unfinished spaces like the basement, garage or attic with insulating foam or heating tape.
• Disconnect garden hoses from their spigots all through the winter to keep ice from forming inside the pipes.
• Keep your cabinet doors under the sink open during frigid weather to encourage airflow around the pipes.

Work with a Reliable Plumber

While you can take all sorts of preventive steps yourself to stop clogs, leaks and damage from floods, there are situations where you need a professional touch to keep things flowing smoothly. That’s where excels. We work with some of the best plumbers offering residential plumbing support from coast to coast with service backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely thrilled with your level of service by next year, we promise to make it right. This promise shows how we ensure a complete sense of comfort in your life. For professional local plumbing service that exceeds expectations, please contact us today