Putting a Stop to Leaks, Clogs and Flood Damage

You count on your home’s plumbing to run smoothly, but hidden issues can hide in many places. Thankfully, you can prevent clogs, leaking and floods with a little preventive maintenance. Here’s how you can keep your water running and your worries at bay.

1. Keep Foreign Debris Out of Sink Drains

A lot of sinks in the kitchen may be outfitted with a garbage disposal, but certain food items still belong in the trash can or compost heap rinsed down the drain, such as:

• Cooking grease
• Tough foods like corn husks and stalks of celery
• Sticky foods like boiled rice or coffee grounds
• Solid objects like gristle and animal bones
• Anything that isn’t edible. Silverware and similar items can fall into the disposal and cause damage when you turn it on.

2. Understand What Shouldn’t Be Flushed

Toilets are designed to dispose of human waste and toilet paper. Here’s what you should never flush:

• Wet wipes
• Paper towels
• Cotton balls and swabs
• Feminine hygiene products
• Diapers
• Floss
• Old medication

3. Utilize Mesh Strainers

A simple way to prevent clogging is to place drain strainers over your kitchen and bath drains. They collect hair, pieces of soap, old toothpaste and other debris as water flows down the drain. Stick to a regular schedule when you clean these strainers to keep your drains running smoothly.

4. Locate the Main Water Shutoff Valve

Being familiar with your plumbing system means knowing how to find your main water shutoff valve. This valve manages water flowing into your home, so knowing where it is means you can turn it off quickly in a plumbing emergency. It’s also wise to turn off this valve before going away for an extended period. Common locations for the main shutoff valve include the basement, near the water heater, in a utility closet or outside the home under the ground.

5. Install a Sump Pump

Installing a sump pump will go a long way toward preventing flooding, particularly in areas prone to high annual rainfall. This device removes water that accumulates in its sump basin, usually found in the basement, and expels it away from the house. For homes that already have a sump pump, test it regularly by dumping some water into the pit. If the pump activates and the pit drains, you’re good to go. If it isn’t draining properly, you have time to call a professional to repair it before another big thunderstorm rolls through.

6. Put in Flood Alarms

Just as smoke alarms are essential for fire safety, flood alarms can help avoid water damage. These electric or battery-operated devices sense pooling water at the earliest stages of flooding or leaks, setting off an alarm to alert you. For further protection, include smart flood alarms into your home security system. This alerts you on your phone as soon as water has been detected, helping to resolve leaking pipes before they cause significant damage.

7. Add a Backflow Valve

Many plumbers recommend you put in a backflow valve in the basement floor drain to keep sewage from flowing backward into their homes after heavy rainfall. Professionals can set up this strong layer of protection against sewage backflow.

Learn to Recognize and Prevent Leaking

Now that we’ve covered best practices and useful plumbing accessories, let’s review some preventive steps you can take to avoid leaks, or worse, burst pipes.

Most of your home plumbing system is hidden, so dripping pipes often go unseen until they are capable of significant water damage. Regularly checking for leaks can help you identify problems quickly. Here’s what to do:

• Look under the sink for signs of damp spots, wood rot or mold growth.
• Be on the lookout for slow leaks in the toilets by squeezing a few drops of food coloring to the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl after 30 minutes without flushing, you’ve got a leak.
• Inspect around and behind your plumbing appliances, including the dishwasher or washing machine, for signs of water damage or leaking.
• Schedule a water meter test.
  • First, close off all water in your home via the home’s water main.
  • Then, go outside to read the water meter. Verify the reading again in two hours, and do your best not to use any water before the test is done.
  • If the reading goes up, it means there’s a leak somewhere.

Keep Your Pipes from Freezing

In colder climates, doing your part to protect vulnerable pipes is a good part of any plan to minimize the risk of freezing and bursting. Here are some professional recommendations:

• Cover pipes in the appropriate insulation in purely functional/utility spaces like the basement, garage or attic using foam tubing or heating tape.
• Remove garden hoses from their spigots during the winter to stop ice from forming inside the pipes.
• Keep all cabinets with plumbing pipes open during cold spells to encourage airflow around the pipes.

Trust Dependable Local Plumbers for Support

While you can implement all sorts of preventive steps yourself to stop clogs, leaks and flooding, there are situations where you need an experienced plumber to keep things flowing smoothly. That’s where comes in. We work with some of the best plumbers offering residential plumbing support from coast to coast with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely happy with our services by next year, we promise to make it right. This industry-leading dedication shows how we deliver total comfort and peace of mind in your life. For Expert plumbing service that exceeds expectations, please contact us today