As with other systems in your home, your plumbing system will serve you longer with fewer issues if you keep up on maintenance. So, here are a few things that will keep you water flowing…and draining:
- Flush your shower, bath, and sink drains every 90 days with baking soda and vinegar, followed by 3 minutes of hot water. Your drains will smell better and stay clearer.
- Protect your bath/shower drains with a Tub Shroom or at the very least a strainer grate that you clean often. Don’t wash things like pumpkin seeds (most-common cause of clogs around Halloween) down your kitchen sink.
- Wrap pipes in insulation. They avoid freezing, and this reduces the wait for hot water.
- Use a whole-house water softening system. It keeps your pipes and accessories clear.
- Turn down your water pressure. This eases stress on the entire plumbing system.
- Flush your water heater tank annually. This prevents rust and sediment from building up at the bottom of the tank, which reduces heating efficiency and shortens the life of the water heater.
- Run 15 seconds of hot water through your garbage disposal before you send anything else through it. Run about 5 seconds of hot water after you use the disposal.
Keep Your Plumbing System Happy