When you provide the best maintenance for your plumbing system, you will be able to prevent an array of issues from arising that can otherwise impact your home. Any system of your home requires regular preventative maintenance to ensure that it continues to remain in the best possible condition. When you work with our team at S & B Plumbing, you will be better equipped to keep your plumbing system in the best condition, which will substantially aid in protecting your home. Here are a few important steps regarding the maintenance for your plumbing system.  

Have Repairs Made as Soon as Possible

Whenever you notice issues with your plumbing system, it will be incredibly important to ensure that you have the appropriate repairs made as quickly as possible. Without these repairs, it is highly likely that damage to your system will escalate. This will also result in more damage to your home. For example, a leaky pipe can cause a substantial amount of water damage to the property. Leaks and clogs should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent them from causing additional strain and damage to your plumbing system.

Only Use Non-Toxic Drain Cleaners

When you regularly use a non-toxic drain cleaner, such as a baking soda solution, you will be able to keep your plumbing system free of harmful foreign particles. However, it is also important to ensure that any cleaners that you use are non-toxic. Chemicals like Drano can cause a substantial amount of damage to your plumbing system. These eat away at the various components of your plumbing system, which can lead to leaks and larger issues.

Keep Objects out of Drains

The more you are able to keep foreign objects out of your plumbing system, the better condition your plumbing system will remain in. Taking the steps to keep these objects out can greatly protect your system. For example, you will want to install a drain cover in the shower to keep hair from clogging up your plumbing system. In addition, you should scrape as much food as possible into the garbage, rather than putting it into your garbage disposal.

Prevent Freezing

When the temperatures plummet, it is much more possible that damage can occur to your plumbing system. In order to reduce the amount of damage that can occur to your system, it is important to ensure that you properly winterize your plumbing system. This step can help to prevent frozen pipes, which can minimize the likelihood that a pipe will burst in your plumbing system.

Regular Plumbing Checkups

Having your plumbing system regularly inspected by a professional is an incredibly important step to ensure that it continues to stay in good condition. With regular plumbing checkups, you will be able to find issues in the early stages, when they are generally much easier to repair.

Be Mindful of what you Pour Down your Drain

There are many substances that you should never pour down your drain. For example, cooking oil tends to solidify when it cools down further down in the plumbing system. Though it starts in a liquid format, this will change with temperature, which will result in clogs forming in the system. This in turn places more pressure on the system and can lead to even more damage. Limiting foreign objects as much as possible will aid in keeping your plumbing system in better condition.

Keep an Eye on Water Pressure

Water pressure will change the amount of strain that is placed on the system. It will be important to ensure that you regularly check on the water pressure in your home to reduce the stress that is placed on your plumbing system.

Drain Water Heater Regularly

Your water heater will also require regular maintenance to ensure that it stays in good shape. Due to this, you will want to drain your water heater once or twice a year, so that you can clean the sediment that may build up on the bottom of the tank.

Install a Water Softener

Hard water ultimately puts much more pressure on your plumbing system. When you have a water softener installed, you will be able to reduce this strain and prevent damage to your plumbing.

Maintenance for your plumbing system is an important part of keeping your system in good condition and preventing damage to your home. At S & B Plumbing, we offer an array of services to ensure that the appropriate steps are taken to maintain your plumbing and minimize damage. For more information about the right maintenance for your plumbing system, contact us at S & B Plumbing today!

Plumbing leaks can lead to a substantial amount of damage to your property. When you implement the ideal solutions for locating plumbing leaks, you will be able to have them repaired before they can lead to a great deal of damage to the property. If you have noticed a plumbing leak, or suspect that you may have one, you should contact our team at S & B Plumbing to have the problem resolved as quickly as possible. This is key in preventing damage and restoring your plumbing system to its prior condition.

Locating Plumbing Leaks

Plumbing leaks aren’t always obvious. In most cases, they aren’t gushing rivers of water into your home or accompanied by severe hissing sounds. Since it isn’t always easy to locate a plumbing leak, you will want to ensure that you take additional steps to help identify them. This will help you to ensure that the leaks are resolved early on, which will help to minimize the amount of damage that it will cause to your home. This helps to minimize water damage and keeps your plumbing system in the best possible condition. Here are a few of our tips for locating plumbing leaks.

Check the Water Meter of your Property

If you think that you have a water leak, the first thing you may want to do is check on your water meter. First you will want to turn off all the faucets in your home. Ensure that the washing machine and dishwasher aren’t running, because this will also impact your water meter. Then, you can check your water meter. If the water meter indicates any water use inside of your building, it is possible that you have a plumbing leak in your property. This is a rather reliable method for identifying the presence of water leaks, though it won’t necessarily tell you where the water leak is.

Water Stains

Regularly examine your walls, ceilings, and floors for water stains. When water stains occur, you can be confident that your plumbing system isn’t working completely according to its expectations. Water stains often occur in the form of discoloration, warping, or moisture. Noting the location of water stains can also help to ensure that you find the location where the leak is occurring.

Look at the Yard

Water leaks won’t only occur inside of your home. It is also important to be aware of water leaks that are present outside, as they will also impact your property. Check for patches of grass that are much greener than the rest of the yard. This often indicates that there is a leak somewhere with your plumbing system. Check carefully around your hoses and other plumbing fixtures.

The Development of Mold

Mold tends to be drawn to damp environments. When mold develops inside of your property, it is possible that it is caused by a problem with your plumbing system. The visual presence of mold is a sure indication that mold has developed, but it is also important to be aware of other signs that mold is present, such as a musty smell.

Monitor your Water Bill

When you keep track of your water bill, you will be able to identify anomalous situations when they occur. If your water bill has suddenly increased for no apparent reason, it is highly likely that there is an issue with your plumbing. This may indicate a leak or another issue. Through careful tracking, you can help to have problems resolved as early as possible.

Find out if your Toilet is Leaking

Your toilet may be the cause behind your high-water expenses. In these situations, you will want to find out that there is a problem with your toilet. One of the ideal ways to do this is with the use of food coloring. Place some food coloring in the tank of your toilet. If this food coloring spreads to the bowl of your toilet, it is highly likely that a leak is present.

Inspect your Appliances

Your appliances that use water, such as the dishwasher and the washing machine, are highly likely to be the sources behind water leaks. Inspect carefully around these areas to help identify if there are water leaks present in that area. You should also regularly inspect the plumbing of your home.

At S & B Plumbing, our team is passionate about providing the necessary services to keep your plumbing system in good condition. If you have identified a leak in your property, you will want to ensure that you take the steps to have it fixed to protect your property. To learn more about how to identify leaks or the importance of doing so, contact us at S & B Plumbing today!

Clogs are often the leading cause of issues with your plumbing system. While many people are aware of the clogging threat that is posed by excessive clumps of hair or fur, fewer are aware that grease, oil, and fats are extremely common reasons that clogs may occur. In fact, these are such common clogs that they are often referred to as FOG clogs. It is important to ensure that you dispose properly of these substances. Don’t pour fats, grease, and oil down your drains. Here are a few important steps that you can take for preventing grease and oil drain clogs. If these clogs appear in your plumbing system, you should contact us at S & B Plumbing to have the plumbing system cleared out effectively.

Why Fats, Grease, and Oil Cause Clogs

There are many people that believe that it is okay to pour fats, grease, and oil down the drain because they are liquids. However, oils and fats become solid at room temperature. When they are warm after you have been cooking, they will be a liquid. However, when they cool down, they will ultimately solidify. At this point, they are likely to form a clog that will block up your plumbing system. They may even pick up other foreign objects in the plumbing along the way, which will result in a much bigger, more solid clog. These clogs often restrict the water access and may even stop the water flow entirely. It is important to provide the appropriate plumbing services after these grease and oil drain clogs have occurred.

Preventing Grease and Oil Drain Clogs

The best possible strategy for preventing grease and oil drain clogs is to avoid pouring these substances down the drain. Salad dressing often contains a substantial amount of oil or fat. You should dispose of salad dressing in the garbage, not the drain. The same thing applies to peanut butter, shortening, butter, and margarine. You need to be particularly careful when you are cooking meat, as this type of food often contains high levels of fat and grease. You also likely cook them with the use of oil. Ensure that you don’t put poultry skins down the drain, as well as grease and drippings from the meat cooking process.

Various kinds of oils can be problematic when you pour them down the drain instead of providing the appropriate disposal. This includes things like cooking oils or coconut oil. You should also refrain from pouring mayonnaise down your drain system. Dairy products and gravy are additional materials that you should avoid pouring down your drain, because they can clog the plumbing.

Proper Disposal of Grease, Oil, and Fats

If you have to avoid pouring all of these substances down the drain, how do you dispose of them properly? In most situations, you will want to dispose of grease, oil, and fats with the rest of your household garbage. First, you will want to allow them to cool down before you throw them away. This will allow them to solidify, which can help to prevent dripping and other problems. In addition, the heat can create holes to appear in the trash bags. When you allow them to cool prior to disposal, you can prevent this problem from arising.

It is also important to not simply rinse the grease from your pans and dishes into the sink. Even if it is mixed with water, it can still cling to the plumbing. You should wipe the grease from your dishes and pans with a paper towel in order to prevent them from finding their way down the drain.

Common Places where these Clogs Occurs

Understanding where grease and oil drain clogs occur can help you to watch out for issues with your plumbing. Since kitchens are the most common place where grease, oil, and fats are present, the kitchen sink is the most likely to develop grease and oil drain clogs. However, it is important to note that these substances can make their way further into the plumbing. Oils and fats may remain liquid for a while, before they cool enough to solidify. This often allows them to travel far down into the plumbing prior to this point. This can cause clogs to arise in the city lines. Not only will a clog in the city lines impact your own plumbing system, but it may even impact the plumbing in the homes of your neighbors.

Grease and oil drain clogs can lead to substantial issues with your home. In some cases, they may even lead to plumbing emergencies, such as flooding. At S & B Plumbing, we offer emergency services to help protect your property. We are also capable of efficiently and thoroughly removing clogs from your plumbing system. This can go a long way toward protecting your plumbing and ensuring that it continues to operate effectively. To learn more, contact us at S & B Plumbing today!