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10 Point Plumbing Checklist For Every Homeowner In Sydney
A flood is always waiting to give you a hard time at home. You can never know when it will come. Basically, water is one of the most important natural resources. It sustains all living things, including humans.
Understanding The Hazards In Home Plumbing
If a water supply system is properly installed in your house, then you’ll find it easier to keep everything clean and prepare meals. You need water for almost everything in your house.
While water is a good natural resource, it can also cause major damages to a building and also result in health hazards when the plumbing system isn’t properly maintained.
If you want to know the kind of damage that water can cause, just watch some videos on the internet about major hurricanes and floods that have occurred in the recent past. That will make you discover the power of water.
Just like an automotive, the plumbing system requires regular checkup and maintenance. While some homeowners know this, they hardly practice it. For instance, when did you last inspect your home’s plumbing system? May be several years ago.
Well, this shouldn’t be the case. You should inspect your plumbing at least twice annually by a licensed company offering plumber services. It’s worth having a plumbing checklist to assist you in home plumbing maintenance.
Every family member should utilize this checklist to save a lot of money that would otherwise go to costly repairs when the plumbing system is neglected.
Exercise drills are often done for calamities such as bomb attacks, earthquakes, fires, and tornados. Like a responsible homeowner, you should educate yourself and your family about plumbing tips like you would do on major calamities.
Plumbing fixes can be extremely costly, especially when you’re forced to replace or repair a section of the floor or cabinet. Thus, it’s up to you and your family to know more about plumbing basics to save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
When a plumbing emergency occurs at home, you’ll have to think and act fast before any further damages. Home drills can save you a lot of money and even your life and property.
Here’s the plumbing checklist:
- In case you’re alone at home and there’s no water, you can check the water meter to assess whether its dials are rotating. In case you can see the dials rotating, then your plumbing may be leaking somewhere.
Faucets and toilet leaks are a major culprit of plumbing leaks. They can add a lot to your annual water bill. Fixing faucet and toilet leaks is quite affordable. It’s something you can do yourself.
- Every family member should know the location of their home’s main water shutoff valve. It’s mostly located outside on the main water pipe that leads to the house. It can also be located around the hot water heating system or even on some wall. In case you’re unable to find it, ask your local plumber to assist you.
In case the valves are located within crawl spaces, then you’ll find it challenging to access them in the event of an emergency. You could already be in a flood before you access such valves.
- In case your toilet is almost overflowing, then you should access the inside of the toilet tank by removing the lid. Once done, press the flapper downwards to prevent more water from flowing into the bowl as you reach over to turn off the stop valve.
Upon turning off the water supply to your toilet, you should start assessing the situation. Clogs are the main reason why your toilet may fail to flush and end up overflowing. You can use a plunger or auger to clear the clog. In case you have kids at home, watch out for toys that may get stuck in the toilet.
- Check for leaks in your toilet by using a food color. You’ll simply pour some drops of a food color into the toilet tank. Then wait for around 30 minutes. Once done, check for any coloring in the bowl. In case there’s some coloring, then it means some water is leaking through the flapper.
- Know the location of the shutoff valves for the water supply to the toilets and faucets. Doing so will assist in turning off the water from the specific valves rather than turning off your home’s main shutoff valve.
- Keep all valves fully-functional by using them twice or more every year. Simply open and close them to keep them operational. In case you fail to do so, the valve may end up freezing and malfunction. You’ll be unable to use the valve in case of an emergency once it freezes.
- Always have a toilet and sink plunger at home. They’ll help you to unclog the toilet or sink in an emergency.
- Avoid using chemicals to clear clogs. It’s advisable to use an auger (plumber’s snake) or a plunger. You can always try a plunger at first. An auger can assist when a plunger fails since it clears more stubborn and deeper clogs that a plunger may not clear.
- Invest in some plumbing replacement parts like rubber gaskets and toilet kits. They can assist in fixing minor issues.
- It’s advisable to drain some water from the hot water tank twice every year. Doing so keeps the valve working and clears sediment that accumulates in the tank. This way, you’ll keep the heater running efficiently.
When draining your hot water tank, you should do that from the valve located around the bottom area and not the valve at the side or top of the tank.
In case your water heater is electric-powered, first turn off its power supply before draining the water. You can attach a hose to the tank’s bottom valve to direct the water to a drain or bucket.
In case the water coming out of the heater tank looks milky, it means your home has hard water. Buy a test kit from your local hardware store to test the hardness of the water. In case the hardness is above 10, then invest in a water softener.
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