How You Can Prevent Flood Damage, Leaks and Clogs

You count on your home’s plumbing system to operate efficiently, but unseen troubles can hide around every corner. Luckily, you can stop clogs, leaking and water damage with a little preventive maintenance. Here’s how you can keep your plumbing in check and your stress levels low.

1. Know What Not to Put in the Drain

Many kitchen sinks may be fitted with a garbage disposal, but several things still belong in the trash can or compost heap rinsed down the drain, including:

• Cooking grease
• Stringy foods like corn and celery
• Old food like cooked rice or coffee grounds
• Tough pieces of food like gristle and bones
• Things that aren’t food. Silverware and other small items may end up in the disposal and cause damage when you turn it on.

2. Know What Not to Flush

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

• Baby wipes
• Paper towels
• Soft cotton
• Sanitary products
• Baby diapers
• Dental floss
• Expired medication

3. Utilize Drain Strainers

Another effective way to avoid a clog is to place drain strainers over your kitchen sinks and shower drains. They collect hair, bits of soap, crusty toothpaste and other debris as water enters the drain. Regularly clean these strainers to keep your drains flowing freely.

4. Locate the Main Water Shutoff Valve

Being familiar with your plumbing system means knowing how to find your main water shutoff valve. This valve regulates water entering your home, so knowing where it is means you can turn it off quickly in a plumbing emergency. It’s also wise to close this valve before traveling 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 flooding, especially in regions prone to heavy rainfall. This device removes water that gathers in something called the sump basin, usually found in the basement, and drains it away from the house. For homes that already have a sump pump, test it regularly by pouring water into the pit. If the pump activates and the pit drains, you’re good to go. If it isn’t draining properly, you have time to call a professional to fix your sump pump before the next big storm.

6. Put in Flood Alarms

Similar to how smoke alarms are a big part of good fire safety, flood alarms can help avoid water damage. These electric or battery-operated devices sense pooling water at the earliest stages of flooding or leaks, triggering an alarm to inform you. For enhanced protection, add smart flood alarms into your home security system. This notifies you on your phone as soon as water is detected, allowing you to handle leaks before it leads to significant damage.

7. Put in a Backflow Valve

Many plumbers recommend you install a backflow valve in the basement floor drain to keep sewage from backing up into their homes during heavy rainfall. Local expert plumbers can fit this strong layer of protection against sewage backflow.

Spot 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 out of sight, 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 how:

• Inspect under the sink for signs of damp spots, wood rot or mold.
• Keep an eye out for tiny leaks in the toilets by squeezing some drops of coloring to the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl after 30 minutes without flushing, there is a leak.
• Inspect around and behind your appliances, including the dishwasher or washing machine, for signs of water damage or leaking.
• Have a professional perform a water meter test.
  • First, close off all water in your home via the water main.
  • Then, go outside to read the water meter. Verify the reading again after two hours, and do your best not to use any water before the second reading.
  • If the reading goes up, it means there’s a leak somewhere.

Protect Your Pipes from Freezing

In cold climates, doing your part to protect your pipes is a good part of any plan to prevent freezing and bursting. Here are some professional recommendations:

• Wrap the pipes in insulation in unheated areas like the basement, garage or attic using foam tubing or heating tape.
• Disconnect garden hoses from the spigots attached to your plumbing during the winter to prevent ice from forming inside the pipes.
• Keep all cabinets with plumbing pipes open during frigid weather to encourage airflow around the pipes.

Work with a Reliable Plumber

While you can carry out a wide variety preventive steps on your own to help prevent clogs, leaks and flooding, there are situations where you need a professional touch to keep things flowing smoothly. That’s where comes in. We work with some of the best plumbers offering residential plumbing support from coast to coast with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely happy with our services after one year, we promise to make it right. This industry-leading dedication shows how we deliver total comfort and peace of mind in your life. For Expert plumbing service that exceeds expectations, please contact us today