Plumbing systems are crucial for the comfort of your family. Without sinks, showers, and toilets, we would all be pretty uncomfortable. Watching movies of the pre indoor plumbing times might be fun, but no one really wants to live like that! If you like the convenience of smoothly functioning plumbing, you need to do a little maintenance here and there, and this could be a great new year’s resolution.
What do you do to care for plumbing systems? First, you do not try to flush stuff that will cause you problems. What does that include? No popcorn kernels down the kitchen sink, expecting the disposal to handle them. No potato peelings, carrot peelings, egg shells. That disposal is meant for small scraps — as is your city sewer system or your septic system. Handling larger amounts of waste can cause problems you in home’s pipes as well as in the larger systems.
No using harsh chemicals in your pipes. You don’t want to corrode the pipes themselves and have to replace entire plumbing systems down the road. Use baking soda and vinegar a couple of times a year to flush buildup. Clean the hair clogs out or — better yet — use those hair catchers and keep it from going down the sink or shower drain to start with.
And while you are at it, remember that unused medications should not be flushed away in a sewer system. Hormones, chemicals, and opioids do not belong coursing through any water system. Use your city’s or pharmacy’s unused drug return to rid your home of prescriptions you don’t use.
Finally, inspect your pipes at least once a year. Check under those sinks, poke around in your basement. See whether you have leaks or signs of any corrosion. Take care of problems before they become unmanageable.