Plumbing emergencies can be a nightmare to deal with. We cannot predict when a plumbing emergency will happen, but we can prepare to face it. Sometimes, we can face simple emergency situations such as a pipe leakage, a blocked cistern, or even a big burst pipe.
Having a backed-up sink is inconvenient, but it's a small price to pay for the luxury of indoor plumbing. When disaster strikes and you're faced with calling a plumber for expensive and urgent attention, however, that consolation is small comfort.
Avoiding costly drain repairs is easier than you think. Some professional plumbers share their tips for how to keep everything but your wallet going down the drain. Sometimes it is a good option to cover plumbing emergencies such as burst pipes or blocked drains to get a plumbing and drainage cover.
Some important tips:
Do not Hang Things on Pipes:
It is common for homeowners to hang wet or pressed clothes from exposed plumbing in their basements, often surprising plumbers. The pipes in your home are not meant to support weight, and you’d be surprised at how heavy a few pants or shirts can get, especially when wet.
Plumbing is your home’s circulatory system. It carries water from your faucets and drains it away when you flush the toilet. If something goes wrong with your plumbing, you could end up with a flood or a burst pipe. Don’t use them as clothing racks.
Do not pour Grease into the Sink:
You may think that pouring grease down the sink is a good way to dispose of it, but experts say this is one of the worst things you can do for your pipes.
The grease will harden and clog pipes within a few months, unless you take measures to prevent it. Grease and oil in drains can cause slow drains, smelly drains and even backups.
If you have an outdoor grease trap, consider using it. If not, throw used cooking oils into a sealed container and put it out with the trash or take it to an authorised waste disposal site.
Bowl Cleaner:
If you’re not already familiar with the Drop-In Bowl Cleaner, it’s a plastic container that attaches to your toilet tank and uses bleach tablets to clean the bowl. While cleaning your toilet bowl, many of us use the drop-in cleaners in the tank or bowl. That can be problematic while flushing the toilet. The harmful chemicals constantly leach into the water and they can damage pipes.
Stainless steel washer hoses:
Stainless steel braided washer hoses are more durable than black rubber hoses and last longer. These hoses are flexible, so they can be easily moved to access the back of your washing machine. They also resist rust, which means fewer leaks and repairs.
In addition to being more durable, stainless steel braided washers are available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. You can choose from fittings that connect directly to your water supply or those that connect to a hose bibb (or faucet). If you need help selecting the right fittings for your home, contact an experienced plumbing professional.
Apart from that, Garbage disposals are a convenient way to deal with food waste, but they should not be the first choice for disposing of all your kitchen scraps. Garbage disposals are not designed to eat everything that you throw at them. Big chunks of food should go into the garbage; never try to throw them into the garbage disposal and choke it with a ton of waste, either. Try slowly scraping plates to avoid a clog.
If a pipe is clogged, it might be possible to remove the blockage by plunging the drain with a manual plunger. This can be done with a plunger that is usually available at hardware stores for a few dollars. Another tool that can be used to remove a clog from a shower drain is a plastic stick with "teeth" that you can snake into the pipe in order to try and remove hair. If water is gushing from anywhere, make sure everyone in your home knows where the main water shut-off valve is located. Usually, it’s next to the water line.
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