The Top 3 Things All Homeowners Should Know About Their Plumbing System

  1. What kind of piping is installed in your home?
  2. How to shut the water off?
  3. How to avoid clogged pipes?
Your home has pipes that carry the clean water to the fixtures, and drain pipes that carry the dirty water back out of your home. These pipes are made of several different materials. The most common materials for water pipes are Pex pipe & copper. In older homes, you might have Galvanized or C-PVC.

Both Galvanized pipe and C-PVC pipe are known for falling apart when repairs are attempted. Saving for a re-pipe is recommended if you have either of these pipes installed.

If you know the year your home was built, this will help you to know what kind of piping you have installed.

Now let’s chat about how to shut the water off. Shutting the water off at the street requires a special tool, called a Meter Key, and can be purchased at Home Depot for less than $25. Having this tool and knowing how to shut the water off at the street is a great way to be prepared in the event of a plumbing emergency. All homes should be equipped with a shut off at the house as well, but because of their age, they will often leak after using it, so it is recommended to shut the water off at the Street instead.

I’d also like to take a moment to mention that you can always call either your water company or the fire department and they will come shut the water off to your home for you in an emergency.

Finally, let’s discuss what can and cannot go down your kitchen drain. The plumber recommends not putting any food waste down the drain, even if you have a garbage disposal. When you wash food down the drain, the water outruns the solids, leaving food residue and grease in the pipes.

Have you ever been busy after dinner and ended up waiting until the next day to wash off that casserole dish? How did you get it clean? Hot soapy water and elbow grease, right? Maybe even soak it for a while before you scrub the dish.

Instead of washing it right off like it would have if you had washed it right away, you’ll have to soak it and scrub it with a Brillo pad to get it clean.

That is what’s happening inside your kitchen drain pipes. Over time, food builds up like a clogged artery. This is what causes clogged pipes. Then, when you hire the plumber out to have the pipes snaked, it clears a passageway through the food debris, but never clears all of the food from the sides of the pipe. After a while, you’ll start having to have it unclogged over and over and eventually, you’ll need to replace your drain piping.

If you find yourself in need of any plumbing repairs or have any questions, give us a call! Our experts are here to help!