Learn the Right Way to Care for Your Plumbing in 4 Easy Steps

Owning a home can be stressful, especially when you are trying to juggle costs, protect your investment and stay on top of home repairs. In terms of getting the best return on your time spent, a great place to start is preventing plumbing leaks.
If you’ve not been too hands-on with your plumbing until now, don’t worry. It’s about learning a few basic concepts and being on the lookout for certain things that could damage your plumbing and cause leaks. To make it easier for you, we’ve put together an easy to follow list.

How to Find Leaks

The first skill that you want to learn is how to find and deal with small leaks. If you can locate pinhole leaks before they have a chance to develop into something more, you’ll avoid a lot of damage and expense.
Examine your exposed pipes with a flashlight. Do you see moisture? Are they damp to the touch?
Pull out water-using appliances like your fridge, dishwasher and washing machine to see if there is any evidence of water damage. Also, make sure to do a full check outside and in your garage, because leaks happen there too.

Reduce Your Water Pressure

Overly high water pressure can put a lot of unnecessary stress on your pipes. This continued stress will result in damage and cracking, which is going to cause leaks.
You can get some balance between having the pressure that you need to have a good shower or fill your pots for cooking and keeping your plumbing healthy. Install a water pressure regulator to keep your pressure in the safe zone- between 50-60-psi.

Avoid Problems with Pipe Corrosion

One thing that will cause leaks and lots of water damage is pipe corrosion.
This condition is exacerbated if you’ve got hard or mineral-dense water, which many people in Falls Church, VA do. This can be alleviated with the installation of a water softener.
You can retain a lot of the minerals that you need in the water for your health, but remove the ones that threaten the health of your plumbing.

Commercial Clog Removers

If you are troubled by a clog in your drains or pipes, don’t get rid of it with a clog remover. Firstly, commercial clog removers don’t always work.
They also are very harmful to your plumbing. The acids that they contain to attack the clogs also attack your pipes and can cause them to leak.
Avoid clogs in the first place by keeping things like napkins, paper towels, and food debris out of the drains. For extra protection against leaks, wrap your pipes in tape. That’s another effective and easy fix that you can easily DIY.