5 Plumbing Tips Everyone Should Know
Being a homeowner doesn’t make you a professional plumber — even though you did unclog the toilet that one time. While most will consider themselves weekend plumbers, fixing your home’s plumbing is a complicated and difficult job to do. However, no matter who you are there are a few plumbing tips you should know.
- Look Out for Leaks – Leaking faucets and shower heads are all too common and can start out of nowhere. It’s important to always keep an eye out and an ear open for a dripping faucet. The earlier you catch a leak, the less money you’ll spend in wasted water.
- Emergency Shutdown – When a pipe bursts or a leak repair gets out of control, it’s important to know how to shut off the water supply. Locate your main shut off valve and know how to properly turn the water off. Knowing this can help prevent your home from flooding during a plumbing emergency.
- Fixture Shutdown – Sometimes shutting down your main water supply isn’t necessary when you can turn off the water going to a specific fixture. Toilets, sinks, washers, and water heaters each have a shut off and you should know how to shut each one.
- Holstered Tools – Every homeowner should have a plunger, pipe wrench, and a drain snake. These three tools will help you remove any small blockages, unclog drains, and repair slightly leaky faucets. Remember to do your research or call a plumber because knowledge is the most important tool of all.
- Insulated Pipes – Pipes are prone to freezing in the cold weather, that’s just what they do. To prevent this, all pipes in the garage, crawl space, and other exposed areas should be insulated. Otherwise, you run the risk of flooding your home with a bursted pipe.
Not everyone is a plumber, but everyone should know the basics of plumbing to get by. When your plumbing needs professional help, contact the pros at Lancaster Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (717) 207-8198.
