Proactive Plumbing Care: Essential Maintenance Tips
Plumbing system maintenance is an important element of being a home owner. Plumbing maintenance can delay expensive repairs, lengthen the life of your plumbing system, and enhance its overall effectiveness.
The following are some tips to follow to prevent plumbing issues – either by lessening the condition of a problem or eliminating it in the first place.
1) In the bathroom
Before you call a plumber to fix the low water pressure in your showerhead, try cleaning it first. To do this, you take off the shower head and leave it in vinegar overnight. You can also clean the water outlets using a pin. To avoid mildew in the bathroom, keep the fan running and/or leaving a window open when you are running your shower. You should also keep your bathtub and shower stall free of mildew, as this will allow them to dry faster.
2) In the kitchen
Want a fresh-smelling garbage disposal? Believe it or not, it is possible. You can clean your garbage disposal by running through cold water and ice cubes – always check your instruction manual first, of course. You can also add a nice scent by adding lemon peels when you are grinding the ice. To ward away burnt hands when using the faucet, you should set the hot water to between 120 and 125 degrees.
3) Environment
To keep your pipes from freezing in the winter, you should not only insulate them to keep them warm, but run hot and cold water during the winter as well. You should also use a chemical solution for your pipes to keep away roots, which grow easily in household pipes. Just leave the solution in the pipe overnight and flush in the morning.
4) In the laundry room
As mentioned above, wet towels and wet clothes should always be cleaned and dried as soon as possible. The inside of a laundry hamper with wet towels – or a washing machine with wet clothes – is the perfect breeding ground for mildew which in turn can cause mold.
5) Everywhere else
To ensure that your house stays dry and free of mold, you should make sure that your basement is well ventilated. If it is not, you can use a dehumidifier to dry the walls, the furnishing and the air. You should also clean and air out your kitchen and bathroom cabinets as much as possible. This is very easy – all you have to do is take out the items that are in the cabinets, and leave the doors open to ventilate. During this time you can also get rid of any expired medication in your bathroom or food in your pantry.
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