Plumbing Resolutions for Your Edmonton Home
Are you ready for 2017, Edmonton? How about your plumbing? At Always Plumbing & Heating we believe in making home improvement resolutions for the New Year. Whether it’s paying more attention to plumbing maintenance or being more mindful of water consumption, there are several things that we can do in the coming year to ensure the health of our pipes and conserve water. In addition to losing those extra pounds and finally taking that French class, consider adding some home improvement resolutions to your list. Need some inspiration?
Here is our list of plumbing resolutions that we feel will be most helpful in the coming year.
Proper Insulation – The frigid Edmonton winter can harm your plumbing system if you aren’t careful. Make sure that your pipes are properly insulated in the New Year. Any plumbing located in a crawl space, attic, storage room or other area that is not heated should be insulated. Avoid freezing pipes – and the subsequent expensive repairs by adding insulation to any exposed or compromised plumbing.
Water Conservation – Try to use less water in the New Year with helpful fixtures that keep waste to a minimum. Modern low-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads work similarly as their less-efficient counterparts, but use much less water. Low-flow toilets use 1.3 (or less) per flush as opposed to the 1.6 gallons (or more) of regular designs. Low-flow faucets are also a great way to keep water use down.
4 Benefits to Installing Low-Flow Fixtures
Plumbing System Inspection – Keep your plumbing in great condition with a thorough maintenance inspection from a plumbing professional. Even if you aren’t experiencing any trouble with your plumbing, having the system assessed can help determine minor problems before they become costly repairs. Small leaks, damaged pipes and other signs of wear can easily be fixed if caught early.
Mindful Flushing – Be mindful of what you flush down your toilet! This resolution is very easy and could save you a lot of money on plumbing repairs. There is a long list of common products that plumbers find stopping up sewer lines. But this list is rendered obsolete by this simple statement: “Only flush human waste and toilet paper down the toilet. No exceptions.” This statement should be emphasized to everyone in the household.
Garbage Disposal Etiquette – In addition to mindful flushing, it’s also good to take stock in what is acceptable to throw into the disposal. In spite of what the name implies, the garbage disposal is not a trash can. There are several things that shouldn’t be washed into the disposal including all non-food items, grease, fats and oils, fibrous foods, pasta and rice. You should also begin running the disposal with water before you use it – and make sure you don’t force large quantities of food waste down at once.
Garbage Disposal Maintenance
Repair Small Issues – If you’ve had long-running problems with fixtures, this is your year to fix them before they become bigger issues. Faucets with slow leaks and sinks that drain slowly will only get worse over time. Try correcting these minor problems yourself before they degenerate and become big repair problems.
Water Heater Maintenance – Flushing out your water heater tank once a year to get rid of the sediment buildup is a good practice. Odds are that you haven’t had this service performed (or attempted to do it yourself). Flushing out the sediment will help ensure clean water and keep your tank running at peak performance.
How to Flush a Water Heater
Always Plumbing & Heating would like to wish you and your family a happy, healthy 2017! Call us 24/7 if you need assistance meeting your plumbing resolutions for the New Year!
Related Blogs:
Winter Precautions for Edmonton Homes
Holiday Plumbing Tips for Edmonton Households
To request a service appointment, give us a call at 780-489-8118 or contact us online.