How to Prevent Common Plumbing Problems

There is no doubt that plumbing problems in your home can end up being both annoying and expensive. As the old saying goes, prevention is far better than the cure. So, in this article, we are going to take this adage seriously and list a few of the most common plumbing problems and some preventative measures to stop them from throwing your household into chaos.

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Of course, you can take all the preventative measure in the world, but sometimes, you may need to call a plumber anyway so take a look at ABC Home & Commercial if this is the case. However, some simple maintenance tasks can help to reduce the likelihood and scale of any problems that may occur. And here are just a few that you can put into practice in your home.

Avoid Pouring Cooking Grease Down the Drain

Whenever you cook anything that involves the creation of a large amount of grease, you should avoid pouring this down the drain. This is down to the fact that it can end up cooling and hardening in your pipes – thereby causing a serious blockage. And there is no doubt that a clogged drain is a problem that you can do without. Instead of pouring it down the sink, you can chill cooking grease in an empty carton in the fridge and dispose of it in the regular rubbish. While we are on the subject, if you have a garbage disposal, you should maintain it well to stop it from becoming clogged and needing an early replacement.

Invest in Some Drain Screens

An affordable and effective way of keeping your pipes clear of debris is by investing in some drain screens. Put these over the plughole in the sink and this will help to stop unwanted items from slipping down there such as food items, hair, and pieces of packaging. All you have to do is lift this out of the sink and get rid of any potential drain cloggers in the trash. Make sure top empty this out on a regular basis so that it is doing its job in the most effective way possible.

Use a Baking Soda and Vinegar Treatment on Your Sink and Tub

Instead of using chemical drain openers which can be both expensive and toxic, you are better off simply sprinkling some baking soda down your sink and tub drains. Try to get into a habit of putting around a quarter of a cup (60ml) down on a monthly basis. Follow this up with some warm water which will ensure that the powder gets well into the drain. Afterwards, you should pour a whole cup of vinegar down there (240ml) and flush it all through with some hot water. This is a relatively inexpensive drain fix which will help to keep your drains running smoothly. Not only this, the solution is not one which is harmful to the environment.

Avoid Forcing Faucets Shut

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You can make faucet washers last longer and help prevent leaks by turning the faucet off but not tightening the handle as hard as you can. After all, if the water has stopped flowing, you have no further need to tighten it any further. The only thing that forcefully cranking the handle is going to do is cause the washers to wear down faster than necessary.

Install a Washing Machine Hose Screen

Turning our attention to washing machines, you can make them operate better and last longer by purchasing some hose screens. Essentially, these work by stopping sediment from clogging up the pumps and valves of your washing machine. You will need to check these screens at least once or twice per year, replacing them if you find that they are packed with sediment or other debris.

Leaking Toilet

Amazingly, a leaking toilet can end up wasting as much as 78,000 gallons of water a year. So, this is a problem that you will want to deal with at the earliest possible opportunity. To test whether or not your toilet is actually leaking in the first place, you can pour some food colouring in the toilet tank overnight. If it ends up in the bowl the next morning, there is definitely a leak and you may be able to solve it by simply replacing the flush valve.

There are so many plumbing problems out there which can be prevented by completing some basic maintenance tasks, taking preventative measures and performing quick fixes yourself.

 

 

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53 comments

  1. Big deal, thanks for sharing the tutorial. Its really useful and informative. Anyone can learn form here easily.

  2. Thank you for pointing out that you should avoid pouring hot grease down the drain because it can end up cooling and hardening your pipes. My husband is a chef, and he has a habit of pouring grease down our kitchen drain. If it hardens, I’ll make sure to reach out to a professional plumbing service in my area to help us fix our kitchen drain.

  3. Brilliant tips to avoiding plumbing catastrophes.

  4. i don’t usually write posts or comments on articles but your blog was so convincing and is written with such diligence i had to praise. great work !

  5. Hey, thanks for sharing this amazing post with us. it was really helpful.

  6. Thank you for providing the tips for us. Yes, I agree with you. I mostly use baking soda to release the clog on the sink. It is helpful and highly recommended.
    robbylaine recently posted…Great Ways to Maintain Your Composting ToiletMy Profile

  7. I like how you suggested using vinegar and baking soda. A total classic, but we haven’t tried it yet. My wife and I will try this tip. However, if we cannot handle it anymore, we will contact a plumbing expert to help us out.

  8. In order to fox plumbing problems like a leaky faucet you might need to replace the washer, however, it is quite hard to find a leak or leaks, therefore it is recommended to hire a professional plumbing company to do the job for you.

  9. I never knew that vinegar and baking soda can be useful chemical drain openers. My wife and I are having trouble with our drainage at home. It would be nice if local commercial plumbing can help us out in case that vinegar and soda do not work out.

  10. Our teenage son has always poured down bacon grease down the kitchen sink and now its all clogged up. Thanks for mentioning that the grease could cool down and cause a blockage. We will be sure to let our son know. For now, we will need to hire a plumber to fix our kitchen sink.

  11. I wasn’t fully aware that we shouldn’t pour cooking grease down our drains since it can end up cooling and hardening in the pipes and can end up causing a serious blockage. It might be the reason why I have noticed that the draining process had slowed down for the past few days. I’ll try using baking soda and vinegar tonight but will still call professional plumbers to have my drainage system checked.

  12. Great post! I like the part where you combine vinegar and baking soda. I use it all around the house for cleaning.
    wendy recently posted…Slow Draining Kitchen Sink – How To GuideMy Profile

  13. Good post Amber. The tips shared here in order to avoid common plumbing problems are really commendable. As you said, it will be a good practice to use baking soda and vinegar instead of chemical drain openers.
    However, a clogged shower drain is also among the most common plumbing problem which needs immediate attention. So, I recently found some useful tips to unblock a shower drain in the following article. (Here is the link: https://alkemergencyplumbers.co.uk/blog/how-to-unblock-shower-drain/)
    Sorry for the link but I thought it might be helpful.

  14. My uncle has been thinking about getting some help to manage his plumbing so that he can make sure that none of his pipes burst. It could be really useful for him to get some help from a professional to manage it. I liked what you said about how a leaking toilet can be detected by food coloring and can leak 78,000 gallons of water a year.

  15. Great Post Amber. The tips you mention in the post are really helpful. As you said, it was good practice to use baking soda and vinegar instead of chemical drain cleaners.

    Although, a clogged shower drain is a common plumbing problem that needs immediate cleaning.

    So, I recently found some useful tips to unblock a shower drain in the following article. (Here is the link: https://bdsdrainage.co.uk/blog/how-to-unblock-a-clogged-shower-drain)
    Sorry for the link but I thought it might be helpful.

  16. Having good plumbing and regular maintenance can save so much in plumbing expenses on repairs. It can avoid problems.
    commercial plumber recently posted…Harvesting Rainwater – Invest and Reap the BenefitsMy Profile

  17. Hi, thanks for sharing this amazing information about how to avoid plumbing problems.

  18. Hey, thanks for sharing this amazing post with us. it was really helpful.
    Carl Rumsey recently posted…How to Select the Best Drain Unblocker Service for Your Home?My Profile

  19. Great post, but you can visit the website if you want to solve this kind of problem

  20. I never thought that a leaking toilet could waste water up to 78,000 gallons a year. With that in mind, I will contact a plumber tomorrow to get our toilet fixed. It started leaking this morning, and I have been too busy to face the problem. So it kept leaking this afternoon. I hope to find a good plumber as soon as possible.
    Mia Evans recently posted…WHEN IS IT REALLY TIME TO REMODEL?My Profile

  21. We’ve recently created a list of helpful tips for homeowners (https://happyhiller.com/blog/helpful-plumbing-maintenance-tips-for-homeowners/). There are a plenty of good ones, for example how to properly use garbage disposals so that they won’t become a plumbing headache. Feel free to add your own ideas!
    Happy Hiller recently posted…Helpful Plumbing Maintenance Tips for HomeownersMy Profile

  22. Thanks for pointing out that some simple maintenance tasks will prevent major plumbing issues. I guess we lacked at that part which is why we need an expert to fix the pipe that burst in the basement. We were not able to get our plumbing system checked and maintained ever since we moved into this house two years ago which might have been the cause of this issue.

  23. Did you know that the average household water leaks amount to 10,000 gallons of wasted water each year? We found that’s around 1 trillion gallons nationwide. This is enough for providing water to more than 11 million homes.

    Water leaks and other plumbing emergencies don’t always pick a good time. Sometimes it’s advised to call an emergency plumber.

    Check out our post on it: https://happyhiller.com/blog/signs-its-time-to-call-an-emergency-plumber/

  24. Great article! Really helpful!
    Glad I stopped by.

  25. Very useful article! Definitely yes, it’s better to take care of the plumbing in advance. So you can save both nerves and money. According to this article https://happyhiller.com/blog/helpful-plumbing-maintenance-tips-for-homeowners/ , people people pay 170-450 dollars and even more for repairs. Can you imagine?

  26. Well the comprehensiveness in your blog made me love this one:)

  27. Very helpful article!! I’ve been looking for emergency slab leak repair rowlett tx who could fix my house for cash. I just got promoted to another state and had to move in to a new house on urgent basis. I didn’t have the time to set it up or fix the plumbing issues so I got in contact with Wasden Plumbing Services. The process was very fast and smooth, I did not need to call them again. I would recommend contacting them for a fuss free fixature and emergency plumbing.

  28. I Thank you Amber for your valuable post and knowledge you shared. I also share knowledgeable posts like you , I have shared tips to use alternative of chemical in drain cleaning .

  29. Hi Amber, really you have written some of good tips to maintain our kitchen plumbing system which is very important for smooth inflow and outflow of water. Professional plumbers also available when in need.

  30. These tips are really useful. Thank you for sharing this useful stuff with us.

  31. These tips are really useful and yes they can prevent plumbing problems also. Thank you for sharing!

  32. Such useful tips you have shared with us. Thank you for sharing!

  33. Great tips which are really useful for us.
    Thanks for sharing your brilliant work.

    Regards,
    Maria

  34. I like the recipe with soda and vinegar you suggest to prevent pipes from clogging. But usually, the first thing many homeowners do to clean drains is purchasing an off-the-shelf drain cleaner and pouring it down the drain. Actually, it’s a sure path to disaster.
    According to this article https://www.gervaismechanical.com/drain-cleaning-the-answers-to-5-common-questions/, chemicals in drain cleaners are not only hazardous to people’s health, but they can also be harmful to pipes. The chemicals can erode them, which means the likelihood of leaks increases with each use.

  35. Yeah, a leaking toilet is a terribly unpleasant thing. But the toilet tank is not always the case. In this article, you can find more causes of leaking toilets: https://polestarplumbing.com/news-media/what-is-causing-that-leaking-toilet.

  36. Hello Amber
    Really, you’ve provided some helpful advice on how to maintain the plumbing in our kitchen, which is essential for water to flow in and out smoothly. When necessary, qualified plumbers are also accessible.

  37. Informative blog. Thanks for sharing. I also recently read an article https://actioncraftexperts.com/how-to-fix-a-blocked-drain-a-guide-for-new-homeowners/ and this, too, has some really helpful tips.

  38. Preventing plumbing problems is crucial to maintain a functional and stress-free household. The tips mentioned in this article are practical and easy to implement. From avoiding pouring cooking grease down the drain to installing a washing machine hose screen, these simple steps can make a big difference in preventing plumbing issues. I especially appreciated the suggestion of using a baking soda and vinegar treatment as an alternative to expensive and toxic chemical drain openers. The information about the leaking toilet and the impact it can have on water usage is eye-opening and emphasizes the importance of taking plumbing problems seriously.

  39. Thank you for sharing. Blogs like yours and https://actioncraftexperts.com/when-to-call-professional-plumbing-services/ are such a help for readers that are inclined towards home improvement and maintenance

  40. Great post! Your article provides excellent tips on how to prevent common plumbing problems, saving homeowners both annoyance and expense. The advice to avoid pouring cooking grease down the drain is crucial, as it can lead to serious blockages. The suggestion of using drain screens is a simple yet effective way to keep pipes clear of debris. I appreciate the alternative solution of using baking soda and vinegar instead of chemical drain openers, not only for its effectiveness but also for its eco-friendliness.

  41. Cooking grease is not the only thing to avoid pouring down the drain. Read this article to find out what else can cause a blocked drain: https://pinkvantechs.com/guides/what-are-the-causes-of-a-blocked-drain-and-how-can-you-fix-it.

  42. I like the suggestion to use baking soda and vinegar for drain cleaning. Another safe and natural method for drain cleaning is using a combination of salt and boiling water. Start by pouring about half a cup (120 ml) of salt directly into the drain. Follow it up with a kettle or pot of boiling water and carefully pour it down the drain. The heat and abrasive properties of salt can help dissolve grease, grime, and minor clogs, keeping your drains clear and flowing smoothly. This method is not only effective but also eco-friendly, as it avoids the use of harsh chemicals.

  43. I liked this article because it gives credit to the trade of plumber experience and skill led to a proper diagnosis. And the explanation to the homeowner makes a hard situation much more bearable.

  44. Liked the tip of using the rubber handles of your channel locks to loosen the faucet aerators!
    This will work for any chrome screw-on fixture, such as shower heads and wands, for example.

  45. Everybody touts the vinegar + baking soda technique, but it causes an explosion which can damage old pipes. Some drain covers are hard to figure out how to open. The kind that acts as a stopper as well as a drain cover , with no visible screws, you unscrew the top knob with your fingers to find the drain screw underneath.

  46. I agree with you. I mostly use baking soda to release the clog on the sink. It is helpful and highly recommended.visit

  47. Thank you for pointing out that simple maintenance tasks can help prevent major plumbing problems. I guess we lacked in that area, which is why we need an expert to repair the burst pipe in the basement. We haven’t had our plumbing system checked and maintained since we moved into this house two years ago, which could be the source of this problem.

  48. This post provides incredibly valuable and practical tips for homeowners to proactively maintain their plumbing systems. The advice on avoiding pouring cooking grease down the drain, investing in drain screens, and using a baking soda and vinegar treatment are all easy-to-implement strategies that can save a lot of hassle and potential damage in the long run.

  49. that’s good service just now I read your content.
    plumber recently posted…Hello world!My Profile

  50. Great blog! Kudos to the author for shedding light on the invaluable benefits of professional plumbing services. The insights provided were not only enlightening but also underscored the significance of expertise in maintaining a seamless plumbing system. My house needed severe plumbing fixes, so I contacted East Falls Plumbing And Heating. They have professional and reliable plumbers, and I was satisfied with their services.
    https://eastfallsplumbing.com/blog/f/boiler-breakdown-in-philadelphia-4-expert-tips-on-repair

  51. The preventive measures discussed in this article are exactly what homeowners need. The advice on addressing small leaks and being mindful of what goes down the drain is spot-on. It’s a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to avoid common plumbing issues. Well-done on providing such valuable information!

  52. When it comes to plumbing services, reliability and expertise are paramount. Our team of skilled plumbers is dedicated to providing top-notch solutions for all your plumbing needs. Whether it’s a leaky faucet, a clogged drain, or a major pipe repair, we’ve got you covered. With years of experience and a commitment to customer satisfaction, we deliver efficient and effective plumbing services tailored to meet your specific requirements. From residential to commercial projects, we handle each job with professionalism and precision, ensuring that your plumbing system operates smoothly. Our transparent pricing and prompt response times make us the go-to choice for plumbing services in the area. Trust us to resolve your plumbing issues promptly and affordably, leaving you with peace of mind and a properly functioning plumbing system.

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