Depending on how many people are in your household, your plumbing system could be used up to 100 times per day. Between hand washing, flushing the toilet, hygiene activities, etc. your plumbing system is a huge part of your family’s day.
Any malfunction in your plumbing system could have a significant impact on your chores and how much you are able to get done in the day. As most busy families know, any interruption in the speed at which we live our lives, is very irritating.
The best way to avoid a plumbing breakdown is proper maintenance. This is best done on a daily basis by using your plumbing system properly and by avoiding behaviors that put your system at risk. But, with all of the people in your home, and all of the ways that they use the system, it is difficult to really regulate.
Just make sure that you and your family these few recommendations:
- Know how to turn the water off on the toilet if it is overflowing. This is an important one because the toilet is the number one drain in your home that gets clogged. And, when it does it will often spill water over the sides of the toilet bowl and all over the floor. Turning the water off on the toilet will help to prevent the overflow of water so that you can fix the clog.
- When you have a new garbage disposal installed, make sure to ask if the knockout plug was removed. If this plug is not removed, then your dishwasher will not drain. Most dishwashers are configured with a hose that connects to the outside of the garbage disposal. Then, the water from the dishwasher drain out and into the garbage disposal. But, if the knockout plug has not been removed, the dishwasher cannot drain.
- When you turn faucets off, make sure not to over crank the handles. Some people think the tighter you turn the faucet, it will stop a leak. But, actually it usually just breaks the faucet or, makes it impossible to turn the faucet on.
Keep yourself and your family informed about how to use your home’s plumbing system. The day-to-day use of your plumbing system is where the real maintenance happens, and that is the best time to keep your system working properly.
