Plumbing Tips

Plumbing is often an ignored aspect of people’s lives—until something goes wrong. Some homeowners don’t realize that a little maintenance can go a long way. So to help you avoid hundreds of dollars in expenses, we’ve put together a short list of plumbing dos and don’ts to keep your home (and water…) running smoothly.

Plumbing Dos and Don’ts:

DON’T pour fats or cooking oils into your sink. These waste materials can build up in your pipes, or in sewer pipes, causing blockages, backups, and sewer overflows (gross!)

DO run cold water at full pressure when using your disposer. Using cold water keeps food particles solid.

DON’T pour hot water into your toilet. We see this bad advice on Pinterest all the time. Do not do it! Toilets weren’t designed for hot water and pouring it into the toilet can cause the bowl to crack. Warm water should be fine, however.

DON’T pour coffee grounds in your sink drains. Even when running water, coffee grounds may clump together and clog your pipes. The best place for coffee grounds is in the compost bin.

DO open the drain on your water heater twice a year to remove sediment. The sediment could harden, which makes your heater run less efficiently. If sediment continues to accumulate it can permanently damage the water heater.

DON’T place corn husks, onion skins, celery, or other high-fiber material into your disposer. These items can tangle and thread around the disposer and even burn out the motor.

DO pour two to three gallons of boiling water down shower/tub drains once per month to prevent excess build-up of hair and grease.

DON’T keep wastebaskets under the sink. Bumping drain pipes may cause leaks.

DO grind ice in your disposer. This helps to keep the blades sharp.