Bathroom plumbing issues can be costly and abrupt. This makes regular plumbing maintenance crucial. Aside from these preventing plumbing issues, regular maintenance can extend your system’s life and improve your water quality. Therefore, whether you’re a new homeowner or not, learning some bathroom plumbing maintenance practices is essential.
To help you out, below are practical tips and tricks to keep your bathroom plumbing in good shape.
Do Not Use Chemical Drain Cleaners
If you have a clogged bathroom drain, it can be tempting to pour down a chemical drain cleaner to clear out the accumulation. However, this is one of the worst mistakes you can make in the name of maintaining your bathroom plumbing.
Since chemical cleaners work by corroding the buildup, they also erode your pipes leading to leaks and other plumbing issues. Also, the chemical can burn and irritate your skin, leading to severe injuries. Finally, chemical cleaners kill all the good bacteria in your bathroom drain, including bacteria that help break down buildups in your drain.
Therefore, if you have a blocked drain, try using natural homemade drain uncloggers such as a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, hot water and dish soap, or vinegar and salt. You can also use a plumber’s snake or plunger to clear the buildup. If these techniques don’t work, reach out to professionals like the team at Fergusons Plumbing or one from your local area to help unclog your drain.
Inspect Your Bathroom Pipes Regularly
One of the simplest yet practical tips for maintaining your bathroom plumbing is to check your pipes regularly for any signs of damage. This allows you to detect and rectify issues early before they escalate to bigger problems. For instance, if you inspect your pipes, you could easily spot and fix a crack before the pipe bursts and causes water damage.
When inspecting the pipes, look for any signs of rust, cracks, and leaks. If you spot any of these issues, address them immediately.
Do Not Flush Solid Waste In The Toilet
This is a crucial plumbing tip for maintaining your bathroom piping. Don’t use your toilet as a trash can. The only thing you can flush down your toilet is your waste and tissue paper. Any other debris, such as plastic, hair, diapers, garbage, toys, tampons, cleaners, wet wipes, and cotton swabs, shouldn’t be flushed in the toilet as they can build up in your plumbing system and cause hectic clogs.
Insulate Exposed Pipes
Pipes taking water from your bathroom to the outside of your house should be insulated, especially during winter. Winter cold weather makes uninsulated pipes freeze and burst. This happens because the water inside the pipes freezes and expands, and pipes aren’t designed to expand. As a result, the pipes burst.
Pipe bursting can lead to property damage and even more damage if this happens close to an electricity supply. All this can be avoided by insulating your pipes with foam tubing that prevents the lines from freezing. What’s more, insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss, thus allowing you to lower your water heating temperature setting. This reduces the time taken to heat water and the energy used to heat the water, thus reducing your monthly expenses.
Schedule Regular Maintenance And Drain Cleaning Services
Many homeowners ignore the importance of professional bathroom plumbing maintenance and drain cleaning. Scheduling for these services helps prevent emergencies and saves you more money in the long run.
Regular maintenance and drain cleaning helps prevent and spot problems early before they escalate. Without regular maintenance, a simple leak in the bathroom could escalate to a flooding situation that costs you more time and money to fix.
The Bottom Line
Your bathroom plumbing is an essential aspect of your home that you rely on every day. Therefore, consider practicing the above tips and tricks to keep your bathroom in good condition. You’ll be surprised how simple primary care can go a long way to protecting plumbing from different issues. However, if you experience bathroom plumbing issues, hire a professional to correct the mess and begin taking care of the plumbing to avoid future problems.
These are great tips on how to maintain your bathroom plumbing. I have had to warn my grandchildren not to throw things in the toilet just to see how it goes down!