Mar15

By Dave Bangar

6 Ways To Avoid Emergency Plumbing Calls

Most homeowners don’t encounter problems with their home plumbing system until an unexpected plumbing emergency. This can result in an inconvenience for you, thousands of dollars in damage, and many hours of your time. Luckily, there are a number of different proactive measures for preventing plumbing emergencies.

Keep reading to discover the ways in which you can avoid a potential plumbing crisis at your home.    

Avoiding a Plumbing Emergency

The best way to ensure plumbing emergency avoidance is to employ the right strategies to prevent them from happening in the first place. Here are some various plumbing care tips to help you keep your home plumbing system running smooth.

Schedule Regular Inspections and Maintenance

Regular inspections performed by a plumber are one of the best ways to stay on top of any plumbing issues in your home. There are certain plumbing maintenance tasks and complications that require the assistance of a professional plumber and should not be performed on your own.

Detecting Hidden Leaks

By detecting and identifying the source of water leaks, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars on your water bill and potentially thousands of dollars in water damages.

Make a habit of routinely checking around your kitchen, bathroom, cabinets, and appliances for any dripping or puddles of water. You should also keep an eye out for water spots and mould growth on ceilings and walls.

Your water bill and metre are also good indicators of a potential water leak. If you notice a drastic increase in your monthly water usage compared to previous months, check for a leak by running a quick test on your metre. To do this, shutoff your water supply and check your metre for any changes, if it moves quickly then you likely have a fast-moving leak. If it does not move, check back in a few hours, if it has now moved you most likely have a slow-moving leak.

Clogged Drains

Putting certain substances and objects down toilets, sinks, garbage disposals, and shower/bath drains can lead to a clog in the pipe. Avoid putting things like grease, fats, and foods that are difficult to break down into your garbage disposal or kitchen sink. In your shower/bath drains and bathroom sinks, hair can also build up and cause a blockage in the pipes.

If you notice water is taking longer to drain in any of these areas that can be a clear indication of a blockage and is something to further investigate.

Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes can lead to a pipe bursting and potentially major water damage for your home. To combat cold temperatures you can place heating tape on pipes to keep them warm enough to function. In extreme conditions, it’s a good practice to open cabinets below your sink to allow warm air in and to also leave your sink dripping very slowly to keep water in the pipes flowing.

Water Pressure

Significant drops in the water pressure of your faucets, shower, or other spigots can mean a leak somewhere in the system. Sometimes this can be fixed by simply cleaning the drain screens from sediment buildup, other times it can signify a more serious problem like a water main leak. If you suspect a dip in your home’s water pressure contact a plumber to assess and fix the issue.

Sewer System

Sewer line backups can cause major damage to your home and typically require a messy cleanup. There are some basic principles that can be followed to prevent this from happening.

Tree roots can lodge their way into pipes and can cause sewage to collect. Flushing items like personal care products, tissues, and hair down toilets can also lead to a clogged sewer line. A good rule to stick by is to only flush human waste and toilet paper down your toilets.

Seeking Professional Help for Plumbing Emergencies

Although most of us would like to try and solve problems ourselves, sometimes things are best left to the professionals. My Plumber Kelowna is here to provide top notch plumbing services to ensure a plumbing emergency doesn’t get in the way of your time and wallet.

With our extensive knowledge and experience we strive to deliver the best quality service whether it be repairing burst pipes, detecting potential leaks, or through 24/7 emergency plumbing assistance.

Contact us online or call today at 250-601-0000 for affordable plumbing services to satisfy all your home’s needs!