If there’s one thing you undoubtedly need in your home, it’s a working plumbing system. That system, those pipes, are what get you through the day from your trips to the bathroom, to making dinner, to showering, to keeping your basement clear of excess fluids. If you develop a leak, everything can go wrong, and you’ll suddenly realize what it’s like to try to live without water - unbearable. Therefore, it’s important to pay attention to the many facets of your plumbing: the drains, the faucets, the toilets and the sump pumps.
Your drains are a vitally important part of your plumbing. You want to keep them clear so that what needs to and should go down them goes down. This means you must keep what shouldn’t go down away from them. Avoid tossing in to your drain too much food or grease from the kitchen and too much hair or soap from the bathroom. Periodically clean the drain. Pop out the stopper and remove all debris from it, the drain body and the tailpiece. And don’t just focus on the drains in your sinks - the bathtub needs to be cleaned, as well. It accumulates just as much if not more hair and soap and is just as likely to clog.
Once your drains are free and clear, move up - to the faucets. The faucets are relatively easy to take care of. Your primary concern is whether there is a leak, and if there is, what part of the faucet is causing it. Generally, it’s a washer or cartridge. Replacing either will take care of the leak and return you to full working order. Occasionally you will have to replace an aerator. Just remember, before you do anything, turn off the water. Not doing so will only give you more work than necessary.
The third aspect of your plumbing is the toilet. As with drains, you want to be sure nothing that shouldn’t go down the toilet goes down. This includes paper towels, hair, garbage, etc. Stick with toilet paper and only toilet paper. If, when flushing, water leaks into the bowl but not the overflow pipe, you probably need to realign the rods between your flush ball valve and flush handle. Make sure that the ball drops straight down. Further problems with your toilet could mean you need to replace some equipment or seek professional help. Whatever you do, don’t ignore a drip, rust or clog. The contents of a toilet are not something you want stopped up or oozing out.
For that matter, you don’t want what the sump pump handles to do either, either. You need to keep it clean and clear of debris. Storm pumps have a strainer on the bottom, sump pumps a crock. Monitor them, and rid them of any excess waste whenever possible.
If you monitor all four parts of your plumbing system regularly, you shouldn’t have any difficulties beyond the occasional drip and minor clog. If you do have to do work, be certain the water is off before you begin, and if it’s a big project don’t be afraid to call the plumber. He gets paid to figure out what’s wrong, assess it and return you to a well-water household in as little time as possible. And what’s even better is that you will have a more valuable home because of it. Many owners allow their plumbing systems to quaver. Maintaining yours will give you a more attractive property and one up on the competition.
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