How You Can Prevent Leaks, Clogs and Flood Damage

You rely on your home’s plumbing to run smoothly, but hidden issues can hide everywhere. Thankfully, you can stop clogs, leaks and water damage with a little regular upkeep. Here’s the way to 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 instead of rinsed down the drain, including:

• Grease from cooking
• Stringy foods like corn cobs and celery stalks
• Congealed food like steamed rice or coffee grounds
• Tough pieces of food such as fruit pits and bones
• Anything that isn’t edible. Silverware and similar items can accidentally fall into the disposal and cause damage when you turn it on.

2. Know What Not to Flush

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

• Baby and/or wet wipes
• Paper towels
• Cotton swabs and cotton balls
• Sanitary products
• Diapers
• Floss
• Out-of-date medications

3. Employ Mesh Strainers

A simple way to avoid clogs is to place sink strainers over your kitchen sinks and bath drains. They catch hair, pieces of soap, crusty toothpaste and other debris as water enters the drain. Regularly clean these strainers to keep your drains working properly.

4. Know Where the Main Shutoff Valve Is Located

Being knowledgeable about your plumbing system means knowing how to find your main water shutoff valve. This valve controls 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 shut off this valve before leaving town 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 buried underground.

5. Add a Sump Pump to Your Basement

Installing a sump pump will go a long way toward preventing floods, especially in areas prone to high annual rainfall. This device pumps out water that gathers in something called the sump basin, generally installed in the floor of your basement, and pumps it out away from the house. For homes that already have a sump pump, check it every now and then by pouring water into the pit. As long as the pump activates and the pit drains, you’re all set. If it doesn’t seem to be working properly, you have time to call a professional to fix your sump pump before the next big storm.

6. Install Flood Flood Alarms

Just as smoke alarms help improve fire safety, flood alarms are useful for preventing water damage. These wired or battery-operated devices detect water at the earliest stages of flooding or leaks, setting off an alarm to inform you. For further protection, include smart flood alarms into your home security system. This notifies you on your phone if water is detected, helping to handle leaks before they cause significant damage.

7. Put in a Backflow Valve

Another helpful plumbing tip is to put in a backflow valve in the basement floor drain to keep sewage from flowing backward into their homes during heavy rainfall. A professional plumber can fit this useful defense against sewage backflow.

Learn to Recognize and Prevent Leaks of All Sizes

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 system of plumbing pipes and fixtures is hidden, so water issues often go on for weeks until they are capable of significant water damage. Regularly checking for leaks can help you identify problems quickly. Here’s what to do:

• Inspect under the sink for signs of standing water, wood decay or mold.
• Keep an eye out for small leaks in any of your toilets by adding 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.
• Conduct a water meter test.
  • To start, shut off all water in your home via the home’s water main.
  • Then, walk outside to read the water meter. Verify the reading again after two hours, and make sure not to use any water before the test is done.
  • If the reading is different, you know there’s a leak somewhere.

Do Everything You Can to Avoid Frozen Pipes

In cold climates, protecting the plumbing pipes is a good part of any plan to minimize the risk of freezing and bursting. Here is what you can do:

• Wrap the pipes in insulation in unfinished spaces like the basement, garage or attic with insulating foam or heating tape.
• Unhook garden hoses from outdoor faucets during the winter to stop ice from forming inside the pipes.
• Keep your cabinet doors under the sink open during freezing temperatures to keep warm air circulating around the pipes.

Partner with a Trusted Plumber

While you can take all sorts of preventive steps yourself to help prevent clogs, leaks and damage from floods, it’s never a bad idea to have an experienced plumber to keep things flowing smoothly. That’s where comes in. We work with some of the best plumbers serving U.S. homes from coast to coast with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely thrilled with our services after one year, we promise to make it right. This promise shows how we strive to make a meaningful difference in your life. For Expert plumbing service that exceeds expectations, please contact us today