Plumbing pipes can leak or burst, resulting in expensive bills to repair the plumbing and your home. Water can damage your belongings, contribute to mold growth, encourage termite infestations, and affect the structure of your house. Protect your investment by taking steps to prevent plumbing leaks in the home. These tips will get you on the right track.
Repairs Should be Left to Professionals
The market is full of DIY products and you don’t want to pay a contractor to do a job you can complete yourself. With plumbing repairs, you may think you have done a good job, but your inexperience may not fix the problem and could cause other issues. To prevent plumbing leaks, repairs and installation of new components should be left to a professional. You will be confident that everything has been properly assembled, joined, and repaired.
Prevent Plumbing Leaks in Winter
A common source of leaks is frozen pipes. If you live in an area that freezes in the winter, protect your plumbing from extreme cold. Pipes should be insulated. On the coldest nights, leave a faucet slowly dripping. There will be little impact on the home’s water usage and the moving water will help keep the pipes from freezing. Open cabinet doors under sinks to warm the space beneath the sink.
Handle Pipes with Care
Every home has some exposed pipes. It could be the lines going into the water heater or when there’s a basement, the entire home’s network of pipes. Some people use the pipes as convenient storage and hang clothes or other items on them. This puts pressure on the pipes and may result in a leak over time.
Protection is important; feeder lines to sinks and commodes are often housed inside vanities and cabinets. If those areas aren’t used carefully, pipes and connections may be impacted and stressed, eventually causing a leak.
Fixtures Should be Well Maintained to Prevent Plumbing Leaks
Each of your faucets has gaskets and moving parts. If they are used carelessly or not repaired when a problem develops, a leak can result. All connections should be monitored carefully. Investigate and repair leaks quickly. It could be as simple as a crumbling O-ring or as complicated as a stripped-out valve. Either way, plumbing problems lead to leaks that often would have been easy to prevent.
Prevent plumbing leaks by paying close attention to how things are used, stored, maintained, and repaired. Careless actions can lead to damaged pipes and expensive repairs.
New Ground Home Inspections offers home inspections in Jacksonville, FL, and the surrounding areas. Contact us to request our services.