Congratulations! Purchasing a home is such an exciting time, especially if this is your first time being a homeowner! You likely have plenty of ideas swirling around your head as you try to think of how you’re going to decorate it and really make it yours! Nonetheless, becoming a first-time homeowner also requires you to be mindful of your plumbing system and all of the components to that!
If you’ve followed us before here on the blog, you likely know just how intertwined your plumbing system is with one’s day-to-day life. When something, such as a water heater or sewer line, has some issues, it can definitely be quite annoying for the homeowners. You have to take off work to meet someone at your home, throwing off your daily routine. Not to mention, it’s probably an expense you didn’t have planned in your budget! Without the proper maintenance and up-keep, it doesn’t take long for small plumbing issues to turn into costly repair jobs. With this week’s blog, we’re going to provide all first-time homeowners with a few tips that’ll help protect your home from plumbing problems. While this doesn’t encompass every single thing you’ll need to know as a homeowner, it does encompass a few of the more common issues we run into on a daily basis!
Homeowner Tip #1: Know where your water main shut-off valve is.
Knowing what to do when a plumbing emergency strikes is an invaluable skill that is certainly capable of limiting the overall damage and repair bill that follows. As you’d likely guess, it doesn’t take long for a pipe leak to wreak havoc inside your home. Locating your water main shut-off valve is going to be what will prevent the water from continuing to pour out and causing more damage. The last thing you want to be doing during an emergency is running around the house, trying to find where the shut-off is. Keep in mind that turning this valve off will shut off the water throughout the entire house. These valves are typically found in the basement.
Homeowner Tip #2: Avoid any and all liquid drain cleaners.
You’ve likely seen chemical drain cleaners on the shelves at your local Walmart or Target. It probably seems like a quick and easy solution for a slow drain. And chances are if you use it once or twice, everything will seem to work out just fine! The problem starts to arise after it’s used a handful of times and it slowly begins to cause damage to your pipes until you’re left with a leak. What’s happening is when the chemicals reach the clog, they create a chemical reaction. When this occurs, heat is created to liquify the clogged substance. Realizing most of the pipes are made out of PVC or older metal, you can see where the cause for concern is coming from!
The correct way to unclog a pipe? Either invest in a snake or hire a professional plumbing company to come out to get it cleared up. Clearing a clogged pipe would certainly fall under the list of items that our residential technicians can get knocked out in an instant. It’s a simple service that shouldn’t take much longer than an hour and then you’ll be good to go!
Homeowner Tip #3: Know who to call when an emergency strikes.
If there’s two services that you always want to have a reliable and local company for, it’s an auto mechanic and a plumber. Chances are you’ll need both many times throughout your lifetime and you will definitely want someone that you can count on. When it comes to plumbing emergencies, there is not always a lot of time to waste. As the issue sits for longer periods of time, typically you’re left with more and more damage. Just as it’s important to know where the shut-off valve is, make sure you have a local plumber that you can count on.
Since plumbing certainly isn’t a 9-to-5 job, here at Stine-Nichols, we have a residential technician on-call for all after-hours inquiries. If it is an emergency, we’ll make sure to get you taken care of in a timely manner!
Homeowner Tip #4: Have a professional plumbing inspection completed.
What makes plumbing issues sometimes tough to spot is the fact that most of them are hidden behind walls, underground or in the ceiling. With this being said, it’s always critical to have a professional plumbing inspection performed prior to purchasing a new property. This will reveal any potential issues, as well as repairs that’ll likely need to be made in the near future. Trust us, this one will always be worth it! It’s not uncommon for everything to seem just fine one day and the next day, you’re tearing out a sewer line!
Homeowner Tip #5: Understand what winterizing means.
Here in Kansas City and throughout the rest of the Midwest, we’re certainly not immune to some harsh winters. As such, it’s important to understand what it truly means to winterize one’s plumbing system. If you’d like a comprehensive list of winter plumbing tips, don’t hesitate to check out our previous blog on the topic HERE. For the sake of this blog post though, I wanted to shed some light on the most prevalent winterization tactics.
- Disconnect outdoor hoses – It’s easy to forget about the outdoor hoses as the weather starts to turn cold, but make sure to disconnect those in the fall. Drain all of the water out and then feel free to store them in the garage.
- Watch out for frozen pipes – A common way for cold weather to cause a plumbing emergency is through frozen pipes. Essentially, when water freezes inside your pipes, it causes pressure that eventually results in cracking. If you have any un-insulated pipes in a part of the home that doesn’t get as much heat (potentially the basement), wrap a foam sleeve around those pipes to provide insulation. Additionally, make sure to keep an eye on them throughout the winter season to ensure no frost is building up.
- Cover your bases before leaving town – If you head out for the holidays or a winter vacation, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve. In the unfortunate instance that a pipe bursts, this will at least limit the amount of damage it causes.
Homeowner Tip #6: Clean out your shower/tub drain routinely.
It’s definitely not the most appealing part to being a plumber, but the truth is we all shed. Over time, this can cause some serious build-up in your tub and shower drains, eventually causing some problems. Make a habit of cleaning out the shower or tub drain every few months. To add another layer of safety, install a strainer or something like the TubShroom. In terms of the TubShroom, this cool little gadget goes into your drain and catches each hair that attempts to make its way down the drain. After that, it’s easy to remove the hair and ultimately prevent future clogged drains.
And just a reminder, as we mentioned earlier in this blog, don’t use liquid drain cleaners on the tub drain either!
Homeowner Tip #7: Don’t ignore the small stuff.
When it comes to your plumbing system, there’s a few items that we’re all probably guilty of procrastinating on repairs. A couple that instantly come to mind are the dripping faucet and running toilet. What may seem like minuscule problems can eventually lead to up-ticks on your monthly water bill and potentially worse plumbing issues in the future. All in all, get these small leaks fixed before they become bigger issues.
As a side note, with a little bit of research, you may even be able to turn it into an easy weekend DIY project. Take a running toilet for example. More often than not, all that needs fixed in these situations is replacing the flapper, which you can easily grab at your local Home Depot! As always though, if you don’t feel comfortable making the repairs, we recommend leaving it up to a professional. Evidenced in this recent blog, there are a few instances where we’ve seen DIY plumbing go bad!
Need a Plumber in Kansas City? Call Stine-Nichols!
I hope this blog helped reveal a few of the plumbing items you need to be mindful of as a homeowner! It may seem a little overwhelming from the onset, but the best piece of advice is to maintain a routine and don’t wait for an emergency to strike for you to call in the licensed plumber! Simply understanding when something is awry and knowing who to call in these situations are always worthwhile skills to have.
If you live in the Kansas City area and have been looking to find a plumber you can rely on, both in emergencies and non-emergencies, we would be happy to earn your trust. While Stine-Nichols officially opened up in 2014, many of our plumbers have decades of experience under their belt and are members of Plumbers Local 8 union. Don’t hesitate to fill out our contact form or give us a call at (816) 348-3481 if you’d ever like a free quote! We look forward to working with you!