This year, resolve to treat your pipes right with these six plumbing resolutions.
Stop treating your toilet as a garbage bin. Your toilet isn’t made to flush anything other than toilet paper and human waste. Toss your dental floss, hair, feminine hygiene products, paper towels, tissues and cotton balls in the garbage can where they belong.
Conserve water. Be kind to the environment while reducing your water bill. There are easy ways to do this, like taking shorter showers and fixing leaky faucets. If an upgrade is in the budget, consider swapping your toilets, faucets and showerheads for more water efficient models.
Have your plumbing inspected. If you can’t remember the last time you had your plumbing inspected, begin the new year by scheduling a routine maintenance call. This will alert you to any potential problems to take care of now.
Stop ignoring small problems. A toilet that never stops running, strange noises in your pipes and slow drains are all minor problems that if ignored, can turn into major issues. Make it a point to fix minor problems quickly instead of procrastinating.
Invest in drain guards. A simple screen that covers your drain goes a long way in protecting your pipes. They aren’t equipped to deal with food, hair, small bits of garbage and anything else that can end up going down your drain. All of these things can cause blockages, which can lead to a plumbing emergency if not rectified.
Stop using drain cleaners. Commercial drain cleaners contain harsh chemicals. Not only are they terrible for the environment, they also damage pipes. They can further corrode old metal pipes and eat through the glue that connects newer PVC pipes.
If you have a slow drain, use baking soda and vinegar followed by a pot of boiling water instead. The chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar will loosen the blockage and the boiling water will flush it all away. Call Pitton Plumbing for help with your plumbing resolutions. Our residential plumbers can perform any type of sewer and drain service, including drain snaking. If you have an emergency, we can send a plumber to help any time of the day or night. If you’re located in Hamilton, Burlington or anywhere else in southwestern Ontario, make us your plumber of choice in the new year.