The national average cost of hiring an emergency plumber ranges between $50 and $125 per hour. Although emergency plumbing issues arise, it’s not a must for all of them to fall under this category. So, what can you do to prevent these emergencies?
This post shares ten actionable tips for preventing most plumbing emergencies. Keep reading to learn how you can benefit and enjoy a peaceful home.
1. Replace Your Water Heater Parts
Some plumbing issues can wait if you know how and when to replace your water heater parts. It’s worth noting that a water heater can cause plumbing emergencies if you don’t act proactively.
You need to maintain it by checking out its current condition based on its age. For instance, an average gas heater lasts up to 10 years, while its electric counterpart can last for 15 years.
It’s critical to track its age and plan timely professional repairs and part replacement before a disaster occurs.
2. Guard Your Pipes
You can also prevent inconveniencing disasters by protecting your pipes. Preventing emergencies is possible if you add insulation and run cold water when temperatures fall below freezing to keep your pipes from bursting.
Aside from the ones mentioned above, it’s also essential to protect your plumbing pipes through proper maintenance. For example, you may consider installing drain catchers to avoid clogs or flushing out with hot water to eliminate particles which are stuck in the pipes.
By doing all these things, you can keep your plumbing pipes in good working condition.
3. Plan Seasonal Plumbing Checklists
Planning regular plumbing checklists also prevents emergency plumbing issues because different seasons have unique plumbing needs.
For instance, winter requires you to protect your plumbing system from freezing and cold weather. Inversely, summer consumes more water. It’s critical to create a bi-annual checklist to prepare for these contrasting seasons.
4. Preventing Drain Blockage
Preventing drain blockage is another way of avoiding plumbing disasters. You should be careful about what you flush down your drains. Otherwise, letting the wrong items down the drain is a sad warmup for a disastrous emergency.
You should also apply the same caution when handling your sinks and disposing of garbage. Don’t allow grease and fats to go down your drains because they cool and clog the system.
If the clogging exceeds your fixing ability, don’t hesitate to call a professional plumber to fix it on time.
Thankfully, many professional plumbing companies specialize in drain cleaning and other repair services in your area.
For example, if you’re living in Woodstock or other cities nearby, you may call a Woodstock plumber to assist you with your drainage problems. With them by your side, you can rest knowing your drainage system is in safe hands.
5. Avoid Chemical Treatments
It’s also important to avoid chemical treatments for your system. The reason is that the market is full of chemicals intended to work well with particular plumbing installations.
Thus, what works for one system may not work well for yours. It’s also wise to stop using them on heavy blockages and call a professional instead.
6. Conduct Timely Inspections
Are you a DIY die-hard? Nothing is wrong with this orientation, but you just need to be prudent enough to know where your DIY skills end.
Therefore, take your time and call an expert to conduct accurate inspections and diagnoses to avoid embarrassing emergencies.
Most reliable plumbing professionals have high-quality and advanced tools and equipment that can help them diagnose and fix problems more accurately.
For example, they utilize hydro-jetting machines, drain cleaning machines, and a soldering torch to help get the job done properly.
When it comes to inspections, a drain inspection camera can be used to thoroughly inspect the inside of the pipes and sewer lines.
It provides a high-definition video, self-leveling camera heads, and quality batteries to ensure more favorable inspection outcomes.
7. Know Your Home’s Water Pressure
You can also avoid a disruptive plumbing emergency by knowing your home’s water pressure. Yes, different homes have varying pressure levels.
However, you have every reason to worry if yours significantly drops while bathing or washing your dishes. If you notice your shower head or faucet pressure is too low, clean their aerators because sediment might be piling in them.
You may also conduct water pressure gauges to assist you in measuring your home’s water pressure levels.
Should you fail to detect the problem’s root cause, most likely, a leak could be causing the low pressure. In this case, don’t hesitate to call for professional help to fix it on time before degenerating into an emergency.
8. Early Detection and Protection
Modern home technology also enables homeowners to prevent emergencies by detecting and protecting their plumbing installations. Installing these detection systems prevents disasters by raising the alarm and automatically shutting off your main water supply.
Consequently, it saves you the risk of a flooded home and damaged property. This way, you can call a plumber to handle the plumbing problem without stress.
9. Avoid Unskilled Repairs
They may seem cheap, but cheap is still expensive. Don’t go for unskilled repairs in your home to save money in the short term. Falling for cheap repairs could worsen plumbing issues and degenerate them into full-blown emergencies.
So, it’s wise to limit your DIY efforts to simple jobs and call a professional to handle bigger cases.
10. Checking Leaks Regularly
Lastly, prevent emergency plumbing catastrophes by checking leaks regularly. Take your time to check your faucet handles, valves, and pipes to ensure they are functioning well.
Don’t forget to check below your sinks to know their condition. You can do these checks monthly to include them in your seasonal plumbing checklists.
There you go with the ten actionable tips to save your costly and inconveniencing plumbing emergencies. Go ahead and apply them to enjoy your plumbing systems and peace in your home.
