How to Keep Your Home’s Plumbing in Check this Winter

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It really pays off to keep your home’s plumbing well-maintained, especially throughout the winter when plumbers are busy. So, here are some tips to help you make it through the cold season.

Hire Professional Help

It’s good to learn about how to maintain your home’s plumbing. But there will be times when you need to hire a professional. A licensed plumber or septic services can look at your drains and pipes and help make sure that small problems don’t get worse. If all is well and you maintain your plumbing as best you can, it is unlikely a critical situation will be found. But this can depend on how old your plumbing system is and what the weather is like outside, such as freezing over.

Reduce Garbage Disposal Usage

You can use a garbage disposal to get rid of the trash without having to go outside in the cold. Garbage disposals are a special kind of machine that are often mistreated and get clogged up. People end up putting way too much in them, which makes it easier to just throw things away. They are also hard to clean and will trap smelly food. This will make any plumbing problems you already have worse, and it could cost a small fortune to have a professional repair it.

Don’t Clog Up Your Home’s Plumbing

Further to the garbage disposal, another common way to abuse plumbing is to put things in the pipes and drains that shouldn’t be there. For example, women’s products, baby wipes, and even beauty products contain microplastics that quickly clog up the pipes if flushed down the toilet. Basically, the only thing you should put in there is toilet paper, which is made to break down in the water. And use an off-the-shelf drain buster solution to clear drains once a month.

Address Water Pressure Issues

If you think there might be an issue with your plumbing, check the water pressure. This can be seen on your boiler’s meter, which will tell you. Low water pressure can stop your water from running and keep your heating system from functioning right. Not what you need when it’s cold outside. You can try draining the valves or bleeding your radiators. If this doesn’t work, there may be a bigger problem, like a broken water main, so call your water supplier.

Check Your Pipes for Leaks

You can maintain your pipes well. But they can start to fail at some point. Leaking pipes are a sign that there are problems with the plumbing. This is more obvious when it comes from a faucet, but it could also be coming from a break. But if the pipes are frozen, it might not be as obvious. Also, your toilet might constantly be running. If you have any of these problems, you may need to call a plumber ASAP. But depending on how bad the issues are, it could cost.

Summary

Your home’s plumbing can be affected by numerous things, and winter can be a bad time. You can get a professional to check it out, only dispose of tissue, and check your pipes regularly.



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Fashion, Lifestyle, and Travel blogger, based in NC.

4 comments

  1. Yes, we shouldn’t drain anything except toilet paper. However, if you’re experiencing constant clogs, there’s likely an issue with the sewer line that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Having your line cleaned and inspected can fix the issue and free your drains of those annoying clogs. Typically, you should clean the sewer line every 18 to 24 months.

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  3. We don’t recommend using off-the-shelf cleaners to clean or unclog your toilet. Instead, keep your toilet clean using mild homemade cleaners or just ensure the one you bought is safe and doesn’t have harsh chemicals. Harsh chemicals can damage porcelain and old metal pipes and even soften modern PVC piping.

  4. Thanks for sharing such a helpful article. To prevent pipes from freezing, we also recommend inspecting all the areas of your home for drafts. Look around at-risk areas like electrical wiring, pipes, and dryer vents. Seal the leaks and prevent the cold air from entering by using caulk or insulation.
    Remember, even the tiniest opening can allow cold air into your home that can freeze your pipes in extremely cold weather conditions.

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