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1.聽Know What Not to Put in the Drain

Your kitchen sink聽may be聽equipped聽with a聽garbage disposal, but聽certain food items聽still聽not聽dumped into聽the drain,聽like:

• Grease from cooking
• Tough聽foods like聽corn聽and聽celery stalks
• Old food聽like聽steamed聽rice or coffee grounds
• Solid objects聽like聽fruit pits聽and聽bones
• Anything that isn't edible. Silverware and聽other small聽items聽can accidentally fall into聽the disposal and聽cause damage聽when you turn it on.

2.聽Be Aware of What Not to Flush

Toilets聽are designed to聽dispose of聽human waste and toilet paper. Here’s what you should never flush:

• Baby and/or wet wipes
• Paper towels
• Cotton swabs and cotton balls
• Feminine hygiene products
• Baby diapers
• Dental floss
• Expired medication

3.聽Use聽Mesh Strainers

A simple way聽to聽avoid聽a clog聽is to place聽mesh聽strainers over your聽laundry, kitchen聽and聽bath drains. They聽trap聽hair,聽bits聽of soap,聽old聽toothpaste and other debris as water聽goes down聽the drain.聽Stick to a regular schedule when you clean聽these strainers to keep your drains聽working properly.

4.聽Locate the Main Water Shutoff Valve

Being聽aware of聽your plumbing system means knowing聽how to find聽your main water shutoff valve. This valve聽regulates聽water聽coming into聽your home, so knowing where it is means you can turn it off quickly in a plumbing emergency. It’s also wise to聽close聽this valve before聽going away聽for an extended period. Common locations for the main shutoff valve include the basement, near the water heater, in a utility closet or outside the home聽under the ground.

5.聽Get a Sump Pump

Installing a sump pump聽helps prevent聽floods,聽especially聽in聽areas聽prone to聽heavy rainfall. This device聽pumps out聽water that聽accumulates聽in聽the聽sump basin,聽generally installed in the floor of your聽basement, and聽expels it聽away from the house.聽If you聽already have a sump pump,聽check it every now and then聽by聽dumping some聽water into the pit.聽As long as聽the pump activates and the pit drains,聽it's working fine. If it聽doesn't work聽properly, you have time to call a professional to聽service聽the pump聽before聽another big thunderstorm rolls through.

6.聽Install Flood Alarms

Just as聽smoke alarms聽are a big part of good聽fire safety, flood alarms聽help prevent聽water damage. These聽hardwired聽or battery-operated devices聽detect water聽at the earliest stages of flooding or leaks,聽setting off聽an alarm to聽notify聽you. For聽further聽protection,聽add聽smart flood alarms into your home security system. This聽notifies you聽on your phone聽as soon as聽water聽has been聽detected,聽helping聽to聽handle leaks聽before聽they cause聽significant damage.

7.聽Add a Backflow Valve

Many plumbers recommend you聽put in聽a聽backflow valve聽in the basement floor drain to聽stop聽sewage from聽backing up聽into their homes聽after聽heavy rainfall.聽Professionals聽can聽install聽this聽strong layer of protection聽against聽sewage backflow.

贵颈苍诲听补苍诲听础惫辞颈诲听尝别补办蝉

Now that we’ve covered best practices and useful plumbing accessories, let’s review some preventive steps you can take to avoid leaks, or worse, burst pipes.

Most of your home聽system of plumbing pipes and fixtures聽is聽concealed, so聽leaks聽often go聽unseen聽until they聽are capable of significant water damage.聽Regularly checking for leaks聽can help you聽spot trouble before it gets worse.聽Here's how:

• Check聽under the sink for signs of聽damp spots,聽rotting wood聽or聽mold.
• Keep an eye out for聽small leaks聽in聽your toilet聽by聽squeezing聽some聽drops of聽dye聽to the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl after 30 minutes without flushing,聽you've got聽a leak.
• Examine聽around and behind your聽appliances, including the dishwasher or washing machine, for signs of water damage or聽leaks.
• Conduct聽a water meter test.
  • First,聽turn聽off all water in your home via the聽water main.
  • Then,聽go聽outside to聽check聽the water meter.聽Check it again聽after聽two hours,聽and do your best聽not to use any water聽before the second reading.
  • If the reading聽is different,聽there is聽a leak somewhere.

Protect Your Pipes from Freezing

In聽cold climates,聽doing your part to protect聽vulnerable pipes聽is聽vital if you want聽to聽avoid聽freezing and bursting. Here聽are some tips:

• Insulate pipes聽in聽purely functional/utility spaces聽like the basement, garage or attic聽with聽foam tubing聽or heating tape.
• Disconnect聽garden hoses from聽the spigots attached to your plumbing聽throughout聽the winter to聽prevent聽ice from forming inside the pipes.
• Keep聽all cabinets with plumbing pipes聽open during聽frigid weather聽to聽encourage airflow聽around the pipes.

Work with a Reliable Plumber

While you can聽carry out聽a wide variety聽preventive steps聽on your own聽to聽minimize the risk of聽clogs, leaks and聽damage from floods,聽sometimes it takes聽an experienced plumber聽to keep things flowing smoothly. That’s where 黑料社区聽excels. We聽are a network of plumbers聽offering residential plumbing support聽from coast to coast聽with service backed by聽a聽黑料社区 Guarantee. If you’re not completely聽satisfied聽with聽our services聽by next year, we聽will do whatever it takes聽to make it right. This聽commitment聽shows how we聽ensure a complete sense of comfort聽in your life. For聽professional local聽plumbing service that exceeds expectations, please聽contact us聽today