How You Can Prevent Flood Damage, Leaks and Clogs

You expect your home’s plumbing system to operate efficiently, but hidden issues can hide around every corner. Fortunately, you can stop clogs, leaky pipes and even flooding with a little preventive maintenance. Here’s the way to keep your plumbing in check and your worries at bay.

1. Be Aware of What’s Going in the Drains

A lot of sinks in the kitchen may be equipped with a garbage disposal, but several things still should go in the trash or compost heap dumped into the drain, such as:

• Cooking grease
• Fibrous foods like corn cobs and celery
• Old food like boiled rice or coffee grounds
• Solid objects like gristle and bones
• Anything that isn’t edible. Silverware and similar items can fall into the disposal and damage something when you turn it on.

2. Understand What Shouldn’t Be Flushed

Toilets are designed to safely remove human waste and toilet paper. Here’s what you should never flush:

• Wet wipes
• Paper towels
• Cotton balls and swabs
• Feminine hygiene products
• Diapers
• Dental floss
• Old medication

3. Utilize Mesh Strainers

A simple way to prevent clogging is to place drain strainers over your laundry, kitchen and bathroom drains. They catch hair, bits of soap, crusty toothpaste and other debris as water goes down the drain. these strainers to keep your drains flowing freely.

4. Locate the Main Water Shutoff Valve

Being familiar with your plumbing system means knowing how to find your main water shutoff valve. This valve regulates water flowing into your home, so knowing where it is means you can turn it off quickly in a plumbing emergency. It’s also wise to shut off this valve before going away for an extended period. Common locations for the main shutoff valve include the basement, near the water heater, in a utility closet or outside the home in the ground.

5. Add a Sump Pump to Your Basement

Installing a sump pump will go a long way toward preventing flooding, especially in regions prone to lots of rain. This device extracts water that accumulates in its sump basin, usually found in the basement, and expels it away from the house. If you already have a sump pump, test it regularly by pouring water into the pit. As long as the pump activates and the pit drains, you’re good to go. If it doesn’t work properly, you have time to call a professional to fix it before the next big storm.

6. Install Flood Flood Alarms

Similar to how smoke alarms help improve fire safety, flood alarms help prevent water damage. These hardwired or battery-operated devices detect water at the earliest stages of flooding or leaks, sounding an alarm to inform you. For even more protection, add smart flood alarms into your home security system. This notifies you on your phone if water is detected, allowing you to deal with leaks before it leads to significant damage.

7. Install a Backflow Valve

Experienced plumbers often suggest that homeowners install a backflow valve in the basement floor drain to prevent sewage from backing up into their homes because of heavy rainfall. A professional plumber can install this effective defense against sewage backflow.

Learn to Recognize and Stop Leaks of All Sizes

Now that we’ve covered best practices and useful plumbing accessories, let’s review some preventive steps you can take to avoid leaks, or worse, burst pipes.

Most of your home system of plumbing pipes and fixtures is out of sight, so water issues often go unseen until they cause major problems. Regularly checking for leaks can help you spot trouble before it gets worse. Here’s how:

• Inspect under the sink for signs of pooling water, wood decay or mold.
• Keep an eye out for small leaks in the toilets by squeezing some drops of dye to the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl after 30 minutes without flushing, you have a leak.
• Examine around and behind your appliances, including the dishwasher or washing machine, for signs of water damage or leaks.
• Have a professional perform a water meter test.
  • First, shut off all water in your home via the water main.
  • Then, go outside to check the water meter. Verify the reading again after two hours, and do your best not to use any water before the test is done.
  • If the reading changes, it means there’s a leak somewhere.

Protect Your Pipes from Freezing

In climates with cold winters, doing your part to protect the plumbing pipes is a good part of any plan to avoid freezing and bursting. Here is what you can do:

• Insulate pipes in unfinished spaces like the basement, garage or attic using insulating foam or heating tape.
• Remove garden hoses from the spigots attached to your plumbing all through the winter to prevent ice from forming inside the pipes.
• Keep under-sink cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.

Partner with a Trusted Plumber

While you can take a wide variety preventive steps on your own to minimize the risk of clogs, leaks and flood damage, there are situations where you need Expert local plumbers to keep things flowing smoothly. That’s where excels. We work with some of the best plumbers supporting U.S. homeowners from coast to coast with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely satisfied with our services after one year, we promise to make it right. This commitment shows how we ensure a complete sense of comfort in your life. For Expert plumbing service that exceeds expectations, please contact us today