Plumbing typically involves the installation, repairing, and replacing of fixtures and pipes that distribute water throughout a commercial or residential structure. However, the responsibilities of a plumber don’t stop there. For instance, plumbers also handle other issues such as:
- Drainage Systems
- Drinking Water Systems
- Heating System Piping
- Natural Gas Piping
- Sewage Systems
- Venting
- Waste Water Disposal
But you don’t always need to call a plumber. Here are a few basic plumbing tips for conserving water and extending the life for the appliances that depend on it.
Dishwashers, ice machines, and washing machines – running your dishwasher or doing laundry during the evening helps to conserve water pressure and temperature. Be sure to check all connections to ensure that they are fully tightened and not leaking as well as all hoses for bulging, leaking, and any other indication that they are weakening.
Drains – never pour any cooking oil or fats down your drains as they create serious clogs by hardening in your pipes. Make sure that you put strainers over your drains in order to prevent debris, hair, and soaps from plugging up the lines.
Garbage disposals – the first rule of thumb is that you should never put any type of food waste in your garbage disposal that is going to be difficult for it to grind up. This would include banana peels, bones, carrots, celery, or chicken skin, all of which can create a drain clog. Before and after you use your disposal, be sure that you run cold water for about 15 seconds. This ensures that all waste will be flushed down the drain. Finally, make sure that you have turned on the disposal before you add the waste.
Toilets – you can easily check for hidden leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. The color will show up in the tank within a half hour if there is a problem. You should also check the speed at which your toilet flushes. Furthermore, you should check the bowl and the tank for leaks on a regular basis.
Another issue to watch out for is if your toilet flushes properly. If you have to hold down the handle for a long time so that the toilet flushes completely or jiggle the handle to stop the water from running, there are probably some internal parts that you need to replace.
Finally, there are number of things that you should never flush down your toilet including cotton balls, cotton swabs, diapers, facial scrub pads, hair, and sanitary products. These are responsible for the majority of the toilet clogs that are experienced as none of these items will dissolve once they are flushed.
In addition to the above here are a few more tips to consider:
- Limit the amount of water you use when bathing.
- Take shorter showers by turning off the water to lather your body and shampoo your hair.
- When you are washing your dishes in the sink, turn the water off while washing and only turn it back on when you are going to rinse them off.
In closing, keep in mind that you can install a variety of water-saving devices to help you conserve this valuable resource. Additionally, these tasks are easy enough to handle on your own. For the more difficult tasks, contact a professional plumber.