Have you noticed your water heater struggling recently? Or did you go through instances where pressure in the shower was hit and miss? We’ve all been there.
More pessimistic individuals might probably think that their heater is broken. Or that something is wrong at the municipal water plant. However, the truth is somewhere in the middle – literally.
The pipes through which water flows in your home need taken care of. Just like you clean the rest of the house, it’s time to also do some proper plumbing maintenance. Giving your pipes and septic system some much needed TLC will prevent leaks and other major problems in the long run.
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Be careful what you throw down the drain
The easiest way to prevent future problems is to avoid throwing hazards down the drain. Grease, oil, food remains, and hair can block the pipes. While throwing such items from time to time might not seem risky, it is.
If you don’t have screens for your tub, kitchen, and shower drains, search for them now. They are not perfect, but they will block most hairs and gunk from building up. Check for such buildups every so often. If you suspect this type of blockage, some caustic soda might do the trick.
Avoid draining chemical products
Sure, we’ve just mentioned caustic soda as a reliable de-clogging agent. However, we don’t recommend using it too often. And neither do we recommend throwing corrosive chemicals down there.
Use it sparingly, only in emergency situations. It’s better to hire a plumber to snake your drains once in a while. It may be costly, but it’s better than finding leaks caused by chemicals. Sodium is one more compound that we do not recommend throwing down your drain. And we’ll get to it in a moment.
Consider a water softening alternative
The majority of Americans have to deal with hard water daily. It causes numerous problems and it’s no wonder people want to get rid of it. Many have sought out water softeners for this exact purpose. But there’s something that few have thought about.
Sodium. The salt required for the softener to operate might prevent limescale buildup. But it’s devastating for the septic system. In time, it will accumulate and prevent it from working as intended. You can probably imagine why this is a big problem. Several states and municipalities have even gone as far as banning softeners because of this.
Because of this, we’ve started seeing the emergence of salt-free options. Descalers, TAC, reverse osmosis filters, and so on have hit the market during the past years. If you want more research about these salt-free softeners, the people at Yarna.com have more detailed articles regarding the subject.
Try reducing the water pressure
Apart from removing clogging, limescale, and chemicals, there’s on more thing you can try. Try to shrink the pressure. Sure, your showers won’t be as intense, but you’ll gain other benefits from this.
When the water pressure is too high, the fixtures need to work overtime. You can measure water pressure using a hose bib gauge. The best water pressure is anywhere between 40 and 85 PSI. if you notice that the pressure is above the 85 mark, contact a plumber immediately. Your plumbing won’t last long at such high pressure points.
Final thoughts
These basic steps should be enough to keep your plumbing top-notch. If you want to learn more, we encourage you to follow us for more household tips and tricks. Otherwise, if you don’t have much time on your hands, we urge you to call a plumber for any serious problems.
