Helpful Plumbing Tips for New Homeowners
As a first time homeowner, you have a ton of new responsibilities, and learning to properly care for your recently purchased house is just one of them. Luckily, when it comes to your home’s plumbing, following a few simple tips can help you protect your house from costly repairs.
- Make it your mission to find the water’s main shut off the valve immediately after moving in. If a major plumbing emergency does occur, knowing where the valve is located can save your home from serious water damage.
- Avoid using a liquid drain cleaner. While pouring a bottle of drain cleaner into a clogged sink or bathtub seems like an easy solution, in reality, the cleaner can damage the pipes in your home. The main chemical in a store-bought drain cleaner is hydrochloric acid, which will eat away at your pipes as it sits in them. Instead, buy a snake from your local home improvement store, and if that doesn’t get rid of the clog, calling a plumber is the next best option.
- If you live in an area where winter temperatures fall below freezing, winterizing your pipes is a must. Adding insulation tubes to pipes in unheated areas protects them from freezing temperatures. Unfortunately, leaving your pipes uncovered can lead to the water in them freezing and the pipes cracking. Also, during extremely cold nights, allow all faucets on exterior walls to drip slightly. This alleviates any pressure caused by an ice blockage and can potentially stop a pipe from bursting.
- Find a trustworthy plumber before an emergency hits. Having to frantically search for a plumber as your basement floods are not ideal and can lead to you hiring an unreliable plumbing company. Instead, do a little research before you’re caught in a desperate situation. That way, you can choose a plumber you feel confident about.
If you’re a new homeowner and you’re looking for a dependable plumber to help maintain your home’s drains and pipes, please contact The Polite Plumber in Ledgewood NJ today. We’re happy to help you.