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It’s common for homeowners to take their plumbing for granted. If the water is running and your pipes are clear today, it’s easy to assume they’ll be working perfectly forever. Unfortunately, that’s just not true. If you’re not taking good care of your pipes and sewer lines, you might face a plumbing emergency in the future. To make sure the plumbing in your home stays healthy and functioning, you must take care of your pipes and perform regular plumbing maintenance.

Here are 5 tips to help you manage your home’s plumbing system and avoid any unexpected plumbing emergencies.

1. Prevent clogs in pipes

You want your pipes to remain as clean and clear as possible. If your drains become clogged, the backed-up water could put pressure on your pipes and cause them to weaken.

To avoid potential clogs, never rinse grease or fat down the drain. Also, prevent larger items from getting stuck in the drain by installing screens in your kitchen sink. Screens in your showers or tubs will also prevent a buildup of hair in your drains.

2. Avoid chemical drain cleaners

Sure, chemical drain cleaners can be effective when you have a pesky clog in your drain. But these quick and temporary solutions can cause extensive damage to your pipes over time. Because, while the chemicals are eating away at the material that’s clogging the drain, they’re also eating away at the actual pipes. If used over time, these drain cleaners can lead to leaks and costly repairs.

If your drain is currently blocked, have the clog repaired by a professional plumber instead.

3. Update plumbing fixtures

If your home still relies on outdated fixtures, you could be wasting money and putting unnecessary pressure on your pipes. Modern plumbing fixtures have been built to help homeowners conserve water, save money on utility bills and extend the life of plumbing systems. For example, newer toilets are made to conserve water. They also flush more easily than older toilets and have fewer clogging problems.

4. Reduce water pressure

High water pressure can put a strain on your pipes, which could lead to cracks, leaks, and costly repairs. Save money by adding inexpensive pressure gauges to measure and regulate your water pressure.

5. Don’t wait to repair minor problems

Minor plumbing problems can be easy to ignore. But don’t let them grow into much bigger problems before you have them repaired by a professional. Whether it’s a running toilet, dripping faucet or leaky pipe, these problems can cause major damage to your plumbing. Your plumbing system might also have an underlying problem that’s causing one or more of these noticeable issues. Save yourself time, money and potential headaches by taking care of your minor plumbing problems as soon as possible.

At Total Service Quality Plumbing & Gas, we want your plumbing to stay in perfect working condition for as long as possible. Let us help you take care of your pipes and save money in the future. We’ll perform regular maintenance and recommend any useful replacements or upgrades to extend the life of your plumbing. Just give us a call to learn more about our plumbing services and find out how we can help.