Good plumbing is essential in any home. The work of professional plumbers allows you to enjoy the comfort of fresh water coming into your residence and waste flushing out. There are trained plumbing professionals that care for these issues for you. However, you should also have as much knowledge as possible to protect your home. Here are some plumbing tips for homeowners you should know about.

1. Get Modern Fixtures

According to Statistica, the average American home was built before 1980. If you live in one of these homes, you may be dealing with outdated plumbing and fixtures. Outdated plumbing can be a major threat to your structural integrity. After all, older pipes may have lead, which is toxic to your health. Lead pipes have been linked to various issues, such as brain damage and other neurological issues. Rusty pipes aren’t safe to drink water from and can produce colored and smelly water. Old pipes are also prone to leaking and breaking. Those pipe cracks could create leaks and floods that can destroy your property.

Luckily, your local plumbers can fix these issues with a new plumbing installation. A new install may include small fixtures such as your faucet handles. It can also include a dual flush toilet that saves water. One button is for liquid waste, and another is for solid waste. According to the EPA, a dual flush toilet only wastes one gallon of water with each flush compared to five gallons wasted in a traditional toilet. You can have a modern toilet with the addition of a bidet. Bidets are standard features on many European toilets that allow you to keep your private areas cleansed every time you use the toilet.

Plumbing tips for homeowners can help them bathe more comfortably and properly. Make your showering and bathing experience more luxurious with the right fixtures. Replace an old broken tub with a deep and luxurious one that allows for better soaking. Your showers can now have multiple fixtures with different pressure types. You can have a rainfall shower head from above and a detachable shower head for all-over cleansing. Local plumbing contractors also have the means to install a Jacuzzi or hot tub in your bathroom. That way, instead of going to the spa for these types of services, you can have your spa network from the comfort of your master bathroom.

2. Keep Drains Clear

Professional drain cleaning services will come in handy if you inadvertently put something down the drain you didn’t mean to. After all, your hair may build up in the drain when you wash your hair. In the kitchen, you may sometimes put food particles or discard grease down the drain.

Speaking of grease, you shouldn’t put it down your drain as it will eventually solidify when it cools and can create clogs. That’s why Plumbing tips for homeowners should include proper drain management so you can prevent these clogs and you won’t be encouraged to use harmful drain cleaning chemicals.

Many people often reach for over-the-counter drain cleaning chemicals that can do more harm than good. These chemicals can often damage your drain pipes and even your septic tanks. Those chemicals may leak from your septic tanks, damage them, and cause an environmental hazard. Avoid these issues by being proactively careful of what you put down the drain. A healthy do-it-yourself tip for keeping your drains unclogged includes baking soda and hot water flushes.

3. Schedule Inspections

Plumbing tips for homeowners involves getting a regular inspection from your local plumbing company. While you may not think something is wrong, there can be underlying issues only a professional can diagnose. After all, a professional plumber may have diagnostic tools to detect hidden leaks. It’s a good idea to get regular inspections at least once a year. However, you may also want to get inspections if you recently moved into a home. You should also get plumbing inspections if you plan on selling your home. That way, you can rest assured your home is as secure and up-to-date as possible. Most homeowners don’t want a home that has major plumbing issues they’ll have to worry about upon moving in. Getting these regular inspections can save you time and money in terms of protecting your home and preventing hiccups during a sale.

4. Flush Wisely

Your professional plumber would advise any homeowner to be careful of what they flush down the toilet. Basic plumbing tips for homeowners involve focusing on only flushing toilet paper. Whatever you do, don’t flush paper towels on the toilet, as they’re too thick for your septic tank. Even using the wrong type of toilet paper can cause clogs and septic issues. When you shop for toilet paper, look for those labeled septic safe.

Other items such as sanitary napkins, food, and other items are also a No-No when it comes to flushing them down the toilet. Don’t use your toilet instead of a garbage disposal. Your toilet is for human waste and the right type of toilet paper only. If you make the mistake of using it as an additional garbage bin, you may end up with backups on your hands. A toilet that backs up at the wrong time can create a nasty and smelly nuisance that’ll be a pain to clean up. Not to mention, it can also cause water damage.

5. Ask Your Inner Circle

Some basic plumbing tips for homeowners involve finding the right professionals to serve you. After all, a plumbing emergency can happen at any time. If you don’t have an emergency and have the time to schedule inspections and regular maintenance, you always want the right professional for the job. If you don’t know where to start, you can always check your inner circle for assistance.

Check with your family and friends who may have had recent plumbing work done. They can point you in the right direction to a good local plumber in the area. If you have a decent relationship with your neighbors, they can also give you a referral for a local plumbing service. Look for a plumber offering a range of services, such as drain cleaning, septic tank maintenance, water line repair, water heater repair, fixture installations, and emergency care. Then, you won’t have to keep using different plumbers for your needs. The right plumber may be able to fill all your needs, whether it’s scheduled maintenance or emergency issues for same-day service.

6. Be Proactive

Don’t wait until an emergency happens to call for bathroom plumbing services. Staying on top of these issues by being proactive can prevent an emergency shortly. For example, listen out for weird sounds when you flush water down the drain or toilet. Do you hear loud gurgling noises? Does it take water a long time to drain out? Are you smelling nasty smells from your sink or outside in the drainage field? These may be signs you have a deep clog in your pipe or an overflowing septic tank. According to Bob Vila, your septic tank should be pumped at least once every 3 to 5 years. However, you may need more frequent pumping depending on the size of your home, how many people are living there, and using the bathroom regularly.

The bathroom is one of the most common areas for leaks and humidity concerns. If you have a leaky faucet, don’t take that lightly. Even the smallest leaks can waste billions of gallons of water each year. When you suspect a leak, but can’t prove it, check your water meter. If your water usage appears to go up on a meter, but you know you haven’t increased your water usage, there’s a leak somewhere. Call your local plumbing service to check things out to see where that leak may be and fix it appropriately.

When you live in an area with harsh winters, proactively protect your pipes from breakage by insulating them. Insulating your pipes can prevent them from bursting, which is expensive to repair. Your pipes may freeze over in Winter, which stops water from coming into your home. As a result, you won’t have access to hot water or showers. Another way to prevent pipes from freezing over is by keeping one of your taps open to slightly drip out. When you suspect a winter freeze, open one of those faucets ahead of time so water is always flowing. After all, when water is constantly flowing, it won’t be able to stop long enough to freeze over. You can also open up your lower cabinets below your sink so your kitchen pipes can benefit from the warm air in your kitchen. That warm air can prevent a freezeover or can defrost already frozen pipes. This action can prevent you from calling for emergency care.

7. Research Signs of Problems

Plumbing repair tips for homeowners involved doing as much research as possible. You don’t have to be a plumbing professional to understand what to look for and how to prevent things from happening. For example, a major sign of a clogged drain is weird sounds, pooling water, and sometimes nasty smells. You may also notice insects circulating your drains, particularly in the kitchen. After all, vermin are always on a search for food and water. A clogged drain can provide both.

Look out for slow-flushing toilets, as that’s a sign that you have a septic tank issue. If you don’t handle a full septic tank soon, you may have larger problems, such as an overflow. It can lead to nasty smells inside and outside your property. Your drainage field may be super green due to the extra fertilization from a sewage leakage. Don’t forget to check your water meter regularly. Make note of how much water you and your family average in a week or month. If you notice it jumps up unexpectedly, it’s usually due to a leak. Pay attention to your water bill to see if there has been an unexpected jump in fees.

8. Consider the Environment

The environment should also be on your mind when it comes to plumbing tips for homeowners. After all, water is a natural resource, but it’s something people tend to waste too often. According to the CDC, billions of gallons of water are wasted annually by American homes. By staying on top of leaks and your water usage, you can ensure you do your part to conserve this precious resource. By getting dual-flush toilets, you can also do your part and have environmentally friendly fixtures in your home. Another eco-friendly fixture is your water heater. By converting to a tankless water heater, you’re using less energy as it heats water as needed, but it doesn’t store it. These types of water heaters use much less energy than traditional ones and also take up less space in your home.

9. Buy Some Simple Tools

While you should always have a reliable plumber on speed dial, don’t be afraid to get the necessary tools for regular plumbing needs. Some simple tools begin with a traditional plunger. Have a plunger in every bathroom in your home if you need to quickly plunge a toilet. You may also be able to find a plumbing snake at a local hardware store that can help you get rid of minor drain clogs before you call a plumber. Knowing how to use a plumbing snake can also prevent you from being tempted to buy harmful over-the-counter chemicals. Don’t forget the benefits of having items like baking soda and vinegar that flush out a drain when mixed with hot water.

Take advantage of these plumbing tips for homeowners. Good plumbing is effective for maintaining a sanitary and uncomfortable quality of life. From knowing how to safely handle DIY work, to understanding the source of a plumbing problem, to knowing when to call a plumber, can help keep your home safe from harm. In 2024, use these plumbing tips to your advantage, so you can avoid clogged drains, septic problems, and water waste.