In your home, a network of pipes of all shapes and sizes delivers water where it’s needed. Most of this system is completely unseen as it travels between walls and under floors. As a result, most of us never give a second thought to the condition of our plumbing system.
However, given the hidden locations of these pipes, it is vital to protect them from leaks so that you don’t end up with significant water damage to your home. The good news is that there are some steps you can take as a homeowner to safeguard your pipes and stop leaks before they form. If you don’t know where to start, check out these easy tips from your friends at Dream Team Home Services.
1. Keep Water Pressure Stable
Water pressure pushes water through pipes and distributes it evenly throughout your home. Although water pressure is crucial, you can end up with too much of a good thing. If the water pressure coming into your home is too high, it will put excess strain on the supply lines. Eventually, this will cause leaks in the pipes, either around the joints or as pinholes in the pipes themselves. To prevent this problem, you can have Dream Team Home Services install a water pressure regulator at the main supply connection. With this in place, you can enjoy sufficient water pressure without causing damage to the pipes in your home.
2. Secure Loose Pipes
Most plumbing supply lines are made of materials like metal or plastic. Their rigidity allows them to travel over long distances with minimal support. However, some reinforcement must exist for your pipes so they don’t move around during water pressure changes. If your pipes move around too much, they could begin leaking around the joints. Plus, if your pipes rub against a hard surface, like a wooden support beam, you could end up with small holes in the pipe walls.
It’s best to have Dream Team Home Services assess your plumbing supply and drain lines to ensure they’re well-supported. We can design and implement a proper support system to provide future protection if they aren’t.
3. Schedule a Plumbing Inspection
Catching future or early-stage problems is a great way to care for your home’s plumbing system. A simple plumbing inspection could prevent significant water damage and save you a lot of money. That’s why scheduling regular plumbing inspections with Dream Team Home Services is smart.
During a plumbing inspection, a plumber will check your plumbing supply and drain lines for leaks. They will also check for any conditions that could cause leaks in the future. In addition, the plumber performing your inspection will also check the condition of your drains to ensure no clogs are forming.
4. Consider a Water Softener
Dissolved minerals in water are a fact of life for many homeowners in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, hard water can have a disastrous effect on the pipes in your home. It can leave behind trace minerals that might restrict water flow through the pipes and eventually cause leaks. It can also eat away at the metal and create holes in your piping system.
Although you can’t avoid hard water as it comes into your home, you can take action before any water reaches the rest of your plumbing system. A water softener traps many of the most common minerals found in hard water, making the water much safer for your pipes. Another perk of softened water is that it leaves less residue on sinks, showers, and other surfaces that frequently get wet.
5. Insulate Your Pipes
Cold, snowy, and icy Pennsylvania winters can be brutal on the plumbing system in your home. To avoid leaks caused by frozen water in your pipes, have our professionals at Dream Team Home Services properly insulate them.
Our technician will wrap any visible piping with foam jackets to prevent thermal transfer between the pipes and the surrounding air. Pipes that travel through unseen cavities in your home can be protected by insulating the open spaces in these cavities. Finally, on nights when the temperature drops especially low, it’s helpful to drip at least one faucet in your home. By keeping the water moving through the pipes, you can prevent it from freezing and bursting a pipe.
6. Turn Outdoor Water Off in the Winter
Outdoor faucets can cause major trouble in the colder months if you don’t winterize them. Cold air can chill the pipes leading out of your home and cause any remaining water in these pipes to freeze. This process can weaken the piping system and lead to cracks and leaks later on. That’s why turning off the water supply to any outdoor spigots is vital before the temperature drops too low.
Furthermore, you’ll want to leave the spigots in the “on” position so that any water remaining in the outdoor portion of the pipes can drain away. Finally, remove and store hoses to help eliminate any remaining moisture.
7. Avoid Harsh Chemicals
Keeping your drain pipes free from leaks is as important as protecting your supply pipes. One way to protect the drain lines in your home is to avoid using harsh chemicals to clean your drains when they are clogged. These cleaners often contain corrosive ingredients that can eat away at the inner wall of a drain pipe while also dissolving the clog. If you have older pipes or use these cleaners multiple times, your drain pipes may develop leaks. It’s much better to use a mechanical cleaning device to remove clogs from your drain pipes and to call Dream Team Home Services to remove exceptionally stubborn clogs.
8. Be Careful When Making Changes
When it’s time to renovate your home, you might need to change or add to your home’s plumbing system. While including your plumbing in your home renovation might help you make the best use of your space, tread carefully when making any plumbing changes.
New pipes or joints installed incorrectly can quickly become a source of leaks. That’s why it is always best to involve a professional plumber whenever modifying your home’s plumbing system. Professional plumbers have the right tools and knowledge to alter your home’s plumbing system without causing damage to the existing infrastructure. Furthermore, they will usually be able to do the job more quickly and effectively than you would be able to do on your own.
No Plumbing Job Too Big or Small
At Dream Team Home Services, we pride ourselves in helping our customers maintain their plumbing systems so that they can enjoy hassle-free operation of all their plumbing fixtures. That’s why we repair leaks, clean drains, install water heaters, repair sewers, install trenchless sewer lines, and perform many other plumbing-related services. We also install air conditioners, repair furnaces, maintain heat pumps, install generators, repair residential wiring, and much more.
Since our founding, we’ve been working hard to serve every customer with integrity and excellence. That’s one big reason why our customers consistently leave us five-star reviews. To learn more about maintaining the plumbing pipes in your home, contact us at Dream Team Home Services today.
