Do you ever wonder why some Ocala, FL homeowners have to endure water leaks, while some do not? We are willing to bet that the homeowners that don’t see leaks are doing preventative maintenance on an ongoing basis.
Here are some helpful hints on how to protect your plumbing.
HOW TO FIND LEAKS
Instead of waiting around and hoping that plumbing leaks won’t cause a lot of damage, why don’t you find small leaks and fix them before?
Do you know what the signs of leaks are? Commonly, you’ll see pooling water. Check your fixtures and pipes.
Open up cabinets under sinks and check the P-trap for condensation. Don’t forget to look behind water-using appliances.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT PIPE CORROSION
Don’t accept that your pipes will corrode over time because that can lead to plumbing leaks. Instead, take steps to slow or get rid of the process and the potential damage altogether.
Check the anode rods in your water heater. They tend to rust after a few years, which can contaminate your water, causing corrosion to accelerate in other areas of your plumbing.
Install a water softener to bring down the harmful levels of minerals in your water that contribute to corrosion.
DITCH THE COMMERCIAL CLOG REMOVERS
When you are faced with a plumbing clog, it can be pretty stressful. What are you going to do about it?
You may think that the easiest way to get rid of that clog is to reach for a bottle of commercial clog remover. That is not a good idea as the acid that is present in those cleaners is going to attack your plumbing as well as the clog.
This will cause leaks. Have you ever used a plumbing snake to remove a clog? It’s pretty easy and often very effective. The end of the plumbing snake will usually twist its’ way through a clog and let your water flow again.
WATER PRESSURE AND LEAKS
To prevent leaks, you need to make sure that your water pressure isn’t too high. Ideally, you should try to keep it between 45-60 psi.
You may find it too low if it is much below 60 psi but know this; that extra pressure that feels great in the shower will cause you a lot of stress when it causes you expensive water leaks.
It’s because high water pressure puts stress on your plumbing, which will make it leak eventually. Once you’ve completed these plumbing maintenance ideas, you should be leak-free for a long time!