Regular plumbing maintenance will keep your home’s plumbing system working correctly all year, and help you avoid costly repairs as well as save you money on your water bill. Plumbing maintenance doesn’t take much time, either. Here are a few home plumbing safety tips that will save you time and money.
Look For Leaks plumbing safety tips that you should follow before starting any repairs.
Shower faucets are similar to sink faucets, except instead of replacing a bad seat washer you will need to replace the cartridge from the faucet, which is essential an all-in-one item. It is hard to know what kind of cartridge you will need before you start the project, so you are better off removing the old cartridge and taking it with you to the plumbing parts store or home center to find an exact replacement. A drip here and there might not seem like much, but a showerhead leaking only 10 drips a minute wastes over 500 gallons of water each year!
Most leaks are simple fixes that, once corrected, can save homeowners about 10% on their water bills.
Fix That Running Toilet
You may not know it, but 30% of all the water your home uses is just from flushing the toilet. Installing low-flush toilets is a good long term solution that can cut the water use in half. However, most problems can be solved with a couple home plumbing tips:
• Check your rod, chain and tank stopper for a twisted chain or bent rod.
• If you want to decrease the amount of water your old toilet uses without replacing it, simply place a brick in the tank to raise the water level.
Following these simple plumbers tips for your toilet will pay dividends on your water bill.
Hot Water Tanks
Hot water tanks are often the one appliance you take the most for granted… until yours stops working and you wind up with an ice cold shower. It’s a good idea to perform regular maintenance on your water heater. Have your tank drained about once a year and replace the tank every eight to 12 years. If you follow these plumbing safety tips, it will prevent major issues later.
Hot water tank installations are best left to a professional; no amount of DIY plumbing tips you read online will prepare you for replacing a tank if you don’t feel extremely comfortable doing the work yourself.