Tag: prevent

Prevent Plumbing Disasters During the Summer With This Expert Advice

Keep the Summer Stress-Free With These 3 Plumbing Tips 

Summer is a time of fun, relaxation, and recreation. Unfortunately, fate sometimes has other plans. Dealing with stressful plumbing problems during the summer is never fun, but people can help avoid plumbing disasters and protect their summer by taking certain steps. Here are three tips for protecting the plumbing during the summer and helping to prevent plumbing issues. 

Always Watch for Plumbing Leaks 

leak

Leaks in the home can be a significant problem, causing costly water damage and skyrocketing water bills. It is essential to catch leaks early, as continuing to ignore them can lead to costly repairs and higher bills, so homeowners should look out for the warning signs of leaks, including sounds of running water, mold or mildew growth, warping floorboards or walls, and unaccounted-for increases in the water bill. 

However, the best way for homeowners to detect a leak is by checking their home’s water meter. Simply turn off all plumbing fixtures and appliances that use water in the home, then check the water meter. Take note of the reading and then go back and check after an hour of using no water. If it's still running, then there is likely a leak. A plumber should address leaks as soon as possible to prevent severe damage and costs this summer. 

Don’t Pour Grease and Oil Down the Drain 

grease

If a vacation isn’t in the plans for the summer, a backyard barbeque or party probably is. But just because everyone is having fun doesn't mean homeowners shouldn’t be vigilant against plumbing problems. One of the common causes of sewer line clogs during the summer is improper disposal of food scraps and cooking oil and grease. 

Instead of scraping off the food scraps from plates into the sink or pouring cooking oil and grease down the drain, dispose of them properly in the garbage. This will prevent grease and oil from sticking to the inside of pipes, collecting food and debris, and forming nasty clogs that can hurt the plumbing. 

Schedule Routine Plumbing Maintenance 

To ensure that summers are free from plumbing-related disasters, homeowners should never forget to schedule routine plumbing maintenance. Plumbing maintenance involves important things like water heater maintenance, pipe inspections, and preventative drain cleaning that help protect the plumbing and prevent problems. 

Maintenance visits also give plumbers a chance to spot issues with the plumbing and fix them before they get worse and cause problems for the home’s plumbing. Many essential parts of the plumbing get checked during maintenance, so having it done routinely can help extend the plumbing’s lifespan and prevent future repairs.  

About Scott Plumbing

Scott Plumbing is a local family-owned and operated company serving Huntsville, AL, and the surrounding areas. They provide straightforward pricing, same-day service, and on-time arrivals. Call them today for plumbing services in Huntsville, AL. 

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Simple Tips to Help Prevent Clogged Toilets

Avoid Toilet Clogs With Good Habits

Homeownership would be much easier if every home came with an owner’s manual. Unfortunately, there are very few resources where all the valuable information homeowners need is boiled down into simple and easy-to-understand terms. Sure, books are available to help, and YouTube can give some insight, but homeowners often have to learn by doing and make some mistakes along the way. 

Here to help are some local experts. Clogged toilets are a common problem in the home, and they are often avoidable with a little knowledge and good habits. This article is a quick and concise guide to help homeowners better understand how to prevent toilet clogs so they can avoid the hassles that clogged toilets bring. 

Pay Better Attention to What Gets Flushed

flushed If toilets are frequently clogged in the home, bad habits are often to blame. Except in cases where sewer lines need repairs, clogged toilets commonly occur when operator error occurs. In many cases of clogged toilets, something that should not have been flushed down a toilet has been flushed. The only thing people should flush is toilet paper and human waste. 

A simple device that most people ignore is the toilet lid. Leaving the lid down keeps foreign objects out. This is especially useful when shelves are above the toilet, or there are children around that might want to take a few action figures for a swim. It doesn’t take much for something foreign to fall in and be flushed unbeknownst to the homeowners. 

Apart from keeping the toilet lid down, paying attention to what is intentionally flushed is important. Many things that people think are okay to flush actually aren’t and will clog toilets, so never flush things like:

  • Wipes (even ones that claim to be flushable)
  • Paper towels
  • Tissues
  • Feminine products
  • Cotton swabs and other hygiene products 

Pay Attention to How Much Toilet Paper is Flushed 

toilet Toilet paper is flushable because it’s made to break down in the water, but flushing too much at once is still a common cause of clogged toilets. To prevent toilet clogs, homeowners should get in the habit of using less toilet paper. Or, if more toilet paper is needed, people can flush the toilet multiple times during a visit to the bathroom instead of letting massive amounts of toilet paper build up in the toilet basin.

These easy tips prevent the accumulation of too much toilet paper and the subsequent clog that is sure to form. This is especially important in homes with low-flow toilets since not as much water is used to move waste and toilet paper through the toilet drain and down the sewer lines. 

Don’t Forget About Sewer Line Clogs

A popular misconception is that clogged toilets are the toilet's fault, but in many cases, the problem lies deeper, down in the sewer line. The sewer line is the main pipe that removes waste and used water away from home. As such, it is responsible for handling all the liquid waste in the house. 

When too much grease, hair, or soap scum is allowed to deposit on the sewer line walls, flow is restricted to the point that solid waste stops flowing. A clog forms, and that causes toilets to back up and get clogged. To prevent sewer line clogs, homeowners should never put cooking oil or grease down any of the home’s drains. Homeowners can also call a professional for drain cleaning to help prevent clogs. 

About Scott Plumbing

Scott Plumbing is a local family-owned and operated business serving its neighbors in Huntsville, AL, and the surrounding areas. They offer straightforward pricing, same-day service, and a no-mess promise. Call them today for drain cleaning or clogged toilet repair services in Huntsville, AL.

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