A famous novelist once said that Winter is a season of recovery and preparation but it can also bring loads of problems, especially when it comes to your home’s plumbing welfare. Blocked drains caused by grease and food scraps, frozen pipes, hot water heater malfunction, and leaks are just some of the dilemmas that homeowners can encounter these things do happen. fortunately, we have a couple of plumbing tips to minimize the effects of these plumbing headaches.
We Have A Couple Of Plumbing Tips To Minimize The Effects Of These Plumbing Headaches
Treasure Your Drains
One easy and simple way is to flush your drain with a kettle full of boiling water. Though it’s not guaranteed that your drains will get cleared but it will help fix minor issues such as oil/grease build up in your pipes. One method is to pour some special mixture into your drains. Mix vinegar, baking soda and salt and pour it down to your drain. Let the mixture sit in your drains for 5-10 minutes then you can then try to flush it with boiling water if you have metal pipes or just plain lukewarm water if you have PVC pipes. Take note that this mixture might irritate your skin so wear rubber gloves for added protection. Lastly, the fundamental rule on preventing blocking your drainage system is as simple as to refrain flushing down undesired foreign objects. A perfect example excess food, the fat or grease content on some food will cause build up in time and ultimately block your drains. Flushable napkins are never flush-able, make sure to dump them in your rubbish bins than flushing them down and cause long term problems. A simple rule of thumb, never carelessly flush anything down your drain.
Don’t Overlook Your Water Heater
Everyone talks about the pipes, but your hot water system needs some winter damage prevention too. Water is colder in the winter, meaning it’s going to take longer for your water heater to do its thing. Look for rust or corrosion around the water heater. These are signs that you have a leak somewhere, which would require immediate attention. And it’s not just the water; the more sediment and mineral buildup your water heater has, the more time, energy and money it will take. By draining your water heater, you can rid all of the sediment that is building up inside. These impurities make your water heater work harder, waste energy and lead to early water heater failure. Consider a replacement of your hot water system before winter hits, if it seems to be old and rust is forming.
Keep Those Pipes Warm
If you want to prevent your outdoor pipes from bursting or cracking this winter, you need to take action well before the temperature drops. While the weather is still warm, turn off any outside water by using the shut-off valves. This will prevent your pipes from freezing over the winter, and in turn, prevent them from cracking.
Additional Tips
In areas that get frost, you should insulate any exposed pipes – these pipes are the most vulnerable during the winter season, make sure to fit pipes insulation sleeves or wrapping to prevent winter damage.
It’s never a good idea to ignore your homes plumbing system whenever winter is progressing. It’s the harshest season you could ever have. When all else fails make sure to contact us at call us at 13 10 91 and we’ll do the job for you. We are serving areas in Newcastle, Canberra, Hunter Valley, Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, and Port Stephens. Here is another article that you may find interesting in regards to “What To Check If Your Hot Water Service Is Not Working Properly”.
At The Plumbing and Electrical Doctor, we have made these articles downloadable to PDF for our customer’s convenience.
