Discover Ways to Plan a Healthy New Year
If you’re looking to jump into the New Year with a healthy body, start by creating a sound mind. Cultivating a specific plan of step-by-step measures to ensure the safety of your water supply ahead of time can save you from scrambling over major obstacles later in the year.
Following this guide, discover how to create a plumbing care plan that’s easy to implement and maintain throughout the year.
Step One: Keep Your Drains Clean
Failing to keep drains clean and free of debris can cause giant clogs, costing you unnecessary annoyance, and extra money. If you’ve noticed one of more of the following issues with your sink’s drain, you may want to think about having your drains professionally cleaned annually, before any major clogs occur.
- Water backs up the drain when the faucet is turned on.
- There is slow (or no) drainage in your sink.
- Your kitchen or bathroom sinks are emitting foul odors.
- Your toilet is beginning to overflow.
Maintaining cleanliness in your drains is vital in preventing the development of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. Drains and pipes are the perfect breeding ground for these bacteria, as these areas are moist and warm and dark. To prevent your drains from clogging, be mindful of what goes down your sink.
Avoid putting fatty fluids, oils, and other large food particles down your drain, as these substances can quickly cause clogs. You can insert a drain strainer over the opening of your kitchen drain to ensure no large debris or food pieces end up in your pipes.
Step Two: Flush Your Water Heater
Over time, sediment from incoming water can build up on the bottom of your water heater. In effect, your water heater must work harder to heat up both the water and the excess sediment sitting in your tank.
Seeking the assistance of a professional is your best bet in combating and removing this sediment build-up. Having your water heater flushed out optimizes the performance of the heater, revitalizing its energy efficiency.
Step Three: Pay Attention to Your Water Filtration
We use water in our homes every single day, creating a steady flow of water into and out of our faucets and drains. Maintaining the health of your faucets drains, and water quality, in general, is vital to a functioning water filtration system. Perform preventative maintenance on the following areas of your water system to keep things flowing smoothly:
Test Your Water Quality: Paying attention to the safety of your water helps you maintain your health. You can use a home water testing kit, but for best results, take a water sample into a professional lab for testing. For added safety, or if you find any issues with your water supply, a plumber can competently and expertly install a water filtration system in your home.
Hair Clogs: Clean out your shower drain weekly of excess hair and build-up. Remove the shower drain cover, and use a pair of tweezers to remove any hair that may accumulate through the week.
Faucets: Cleaning your faucets when you notice lower pressure in your running water can revitalize the pressure quickly. To do this, remove the aerator by unscrewing it from the tip of the faucet. From here, you can remove the screen from inside the aerator and soak it in hot white vinegar for about ten minutes. This removes any gunk and sediment build-up, creating an easy passage of water through your faucet once more.
If you’re a resident of the Chicago, IL area and need expert advice or emergency plumbing services, call Captain Rooter Emergency Plumbers at (773)-840-7800.
