Summer is here, and it’s time to get your home in order for the rest of the year. It’s important that you include your plumbing system in your summer cleaning efforts, since it needs upkeep in order to operate properly. There are plenty of professional maintenance and repair services available for your plumbing system, and we encourage you to take advantage of them as much as possible. However, there are also plenty of do-it-yourself projects that can help keep your plumbing system in good shape. Let’s take a look at some of them now.
- Completely fill sinks, tubs and showers with hot water, then let the full amount drain. This helps loosen up waste that may be built up on the walls of the pipes, so it can flow through the system into the sewer line. Be careful to avoid burning yourself, though.
- Pour hot water and vinegar into AC condensate drain line at each filter change to reduce clogs. Pour 1 quart of vinegar, then follow it with 1 gallon of hot water.
- Visually check for leaks anywhere you have water appliances in your home. This includes faucets, shower heads, toilet bowls, sink pipes, and the like. There is much of your plumbing system that is hidden from view, of course, and you’re going to need professional help to fix the majority of leaks. Still, it’s a good idea to get in the habit of inspecting your plumbing system as best you can.
- If your home has a sump pump, you can check to make sure it’s operating properly by pouring water into the sump until the pump turns on. You don’t want to find out that your pump isn’t working when you actually need it, after all.
- Turn on all the faucets on your property to make sure that water is flowing properly through them. If a faucet is having flow problems, it may be damaged in some way.
- Be sure to pour around a gallon of water into drains in your home that you don’t use often. This will fill the trap in the pipes, ensuring that sewer gas and such can’t make it up through the system and into your home. You shouldn’t have to worry about this with drains you use often, as they probably still have a steady supply of water to keep the trap full.
- Inspect your water heater to make sure that it is set properly, and free of leaks. Water heaters are placed under a lot of strain throughout the year, and it’s important that you repair or replace your water heater as soon as you notice anything wrong with it.
These are just a few of the many ways that you can help keep your home’s plumbing system in good condition!