It’s true that you should always call an expert for major plumbing repairs … and also for minor repairs, if you aren’t 100% sure what you’re doing! But you can prevent plumbing catastrophes before they happen, with these preventative steps:
1. Take care of leaky faucets or showerheads immediately
These tiny leaks may not seem like a big deal, but did you know, not only can they get worse over time, but they can also cause water damage? In fact, it’s a good idea to periodically check under your sink to make sure there’s no drips when water is running, and also that there’s no sign of water stains. If the leak isn’t something you can repair yourself, you can always ask us for help!
2. Take care of a “slow” drain before it becomes a completely clogged drain
Most of us have had an issue with a “slow” drain in our home before. Maybe it seems to retain a bit of water in the sink, but it isn’t a problem yet. One thing you can try to do to reverse this if it isn’t clogged yet is to run hot water with a bit of detergent down the drain. You might be wondering, “But Weather Master, I heard I was supposed to mix vinegar and baking soda together, for a natural way to fight clogs!” Unfortunately, this actually doesn’t work. This mixture will fizz in your drain, which creates the illusion that something is happening … But actually, vinegar is an acid and baking soda is a base, creating a chemical reaction of fizz, water, and salt. This does nothing to clear your drain!
You can even test this out at home with a little experiment — get two bowls, and put a pat of butter at the bottom of each. Fill one of the pools with hot water and detergent. Fill the other bowl with an equal mix of vinegar and baking soda. You will see that the hot water and detergent dissolves the butter, while the vinegar and baking soda does not. That means it isn’t actually an effective, preventive way of breaking down fat, oil, and grease!
If a clog is getting anywhere near bad, it will be better in the long run to call us for a $99 drain clearing, because the organic solutions just aren’t as effective as having a professional come in with an auger!
3. Be careful what you flush, or pour
This is probably our most important preventive plumbing tip! Of course, you can’t always be there when your toddler flushes something down the toilet, but you can always control your own actions. Remember, never flush paper towels or baby wipes down the toilet. Nothing should be going down there, except for toilet paper (and, well, you know the other thing).
As for drains, there are many things that should never go down there:
- Hair (you can get a drain cover to prevent hair from going down the shower drain)
- Papers
- Plastic
- Fibrous food (ex. celery)
- Expanding foods (ex. rice)
- Coffee grounds
- Flour
4. Call Weather Master
If you follow these rules when it comes to your toilet and your drains, you are far less likely to encounter clogs and other plumbing issues! But when in doubt, it is always better to contact a professional rather than take any chances. Weather Master has been in business since 1977, providing the very best plumbing and HVAC service in Raleigh! Contact us online or call now at (919) 853-7910!