New resolutions for a new year. Don’t have the soul of a marathoner? Maybe you should stop running after trouble! Believe it when we say that this sporting activity isn’t the most effective way to stay healthy. Because we care about your pressure, we’ve compiled a series of plumbing tips to hone your reflexes while keeping unwanted surprises at bay.
1) Don’t hang anything from your pipes
Don’t use pipes as curtain rods. Sorry to disappoint you, but your pipes aren’t a storage rack. [Let’s take a moment here so that you can go and unhook your summer clothes and your eldest’s hockey bag]. You could be two ice skates away from water damage.
2) Your toilet is NOT a garbage can
“Back in my day…” habits are a thing of the past. Today’s toilets are much less thirsty. The volume of water they use is often insufficient to transport your undesirables into the sewer. So, what happens then? They get stuck in a cavity and just wait for the visit of a few accomplices to clog pipes. Keep dental floss, cotton swabs and tampons away from your bowl, and consider “disposable” wipes as if they were the devil. Also beware of everyday objects that claim to be “flushable.”
3) Don’t flush cooking grease down the toilet
Speaking of toilets, just because it’s liquid doesn’t mean it should go with the flow. Here’s why you shouldn’t flush cooking oil down the toilet. Once cooled, cooking grease freezes, coats the inside of pipes and threatens to cause a bottleneck. Need more convincing arguments? Flushing grease down the drain is bad for the environment and will cause problems at the sewage treatment plant (if it gets there at all). The same thing holds for your sink. Use a paper towel to wipe grease off pans and compost it.
How to unclog pipes
Has cooking grease already done a job on your pipes? Old wives’ tricks often work for unclogging sinks and toilets!
- Pour 1⁄2 cup of baking soda and 1⁄2 cup of salt into your pipes. Add 1 cup of boiling water.
- Let stand overnight.
- The next day, rinse with hot water.
Did you try this recipe, and it didn’t fix the problem? That may be because cooking fat can form a plug as hard as stone over time. And baking soda isn’t all that effective at melting away stone. 😉 In such cases, it’s best to call our professionals to the rescue!
4) Call a plumber BEFORE you buy
Are you planning to make a substantial profit on your home during the pandemic? Before signing on the dotted line for your next home, call a plumber to the rescue!
Thanks to their expertise, your plumber can detect possible issues before it’s too late and give you something to bargain with, or the reasons you need to walk away from a bad deal.
5) Play seek and search with your water inlet
With your feet in the water, a bucket in one hand and panic in your eyes, you’ll find things a lot less fun. Get a head start while everything is going well. Identify the location of your main water inlet. In the event of a plumbing emergency, you’ll know which direction to run while you wait for backup to arrive. Speaking of emergencies, there is a solution to every problem. Prepare yourself to better cope with emergencies by reading these tips.
6) Turn off outdoor taps before winter
… and put away the hoses. In this article, we explain how to go about it in detail. Is it too late to do this this year? Say a little prayer and add a recurring reminder to your calendar to never forget again. Your plumbing will say “thank you.”
Call Plombier Expert: now there’s another excellent reflex
We know that old habits die hard. Here’s a professional tip: keep this list handy as a reference or a reminder. And here’s more expert advice: By putting these simple tips into practice, you’ll save yourself many premature wrinkles and keep your budget in line. Moreover, even after taking all the precautions in the world, your plumbing can never get any younger. In the event of a problem, our team is ready to rush to your aid at the drop of a hat.
Want more tips? Check out Part 2 of this article to learn more about best plumbing reflexes.
