Tips to Prevent Plumbing Emergencies

Unfortunately, something can go wrong with your plumbing at any time, and the biggest plumbing emergencies are typically unexpected. Whether or not you are aware of a leaky pipe, a clogged drain, or foul-smelling sewage in the home, you might have a plumbing emergency on your hands. The best thing you can do at the moment is reach out to your trusted Highland Park sewer and rooter services, which includes emergency plumbing at any time. Below we cover tips to prevent plumbing emergencies.

Once the situation is under control and you are no longer in danger, you can more closely assess the situation and figure out what needs to be done to prevent the same thing from happening in the future. Below, we are going to highlight some of our favorite tips to prevent plumbing emergencies quickly and efficiently.

Know Your Shut-Off Valve Locations

Whether you have an overflowing toilet or a quickly clogged sink, one of the best things you can do at the moment is to shut off the water valve. This can prevent the basin from overflowing, and it will stop water from potentially leaking elsewhere along the piping system. Take stock of your shut-off valve locations so you can quickly react to a burst pipe.

Don’t Pour Grease Down the Drain

When washing the dishes and cleaning up after dinner, it is tempting to just throw everything down the drain and let the garbage disposal take care of the rest. Nobody wants to throw away each morsel of leftover food. However, certain substances and residual ingredients can do a lot more harm to your pipes than good. Oil and grease are two of the worst culprits, causing sticky residue that lines the inside of the drain. Fats and oils can also crystallize, causing even more of a clog that is difficult to get rid of.

Say Goodbye to Flushable Wipes

Flushable wipes may be advertised as flushable, but they are hardly good for your plumbing system. Companies can determine a product as flushable if it contains biodegradable ingredients, which most of these wipes do. The problem, however, is in the rate of biodegradation. Many people use too many wipes at once that cannot be properly flushed, and therefore make your toilet drain susceptible to clogs.

Save the Garbage Disposal for Small Things

Many homeowners love to use their garbage disposals liberally, putting almost any kind of food product down the drain, no matter its size. However, this is not really the intended use of garbage disposals. Instead of putting whole chunks of food and leftovers down the drain, save those things for the compost; the garbage disposal should only take small things that the rest of your drain can handle.

Avoid Abrasive Chemicals

There are so many different cleaning chemicals on the market. This makes it difficult to figure out what kind works best for your plumbing systems. Many cleaning products have harsh chemicals that will get rid of clogs but may also eat through your pipes. Products like Dran-O are famous for causing bad chemical reactions, not only damaging the integrity of the plumbing but also causing a health hazard for any homeowners or plumbing contractors who come in contact with the drain.

Save Big on Your Next Plumbing Emergency with New Generation Plumbing

You can count on your emergency plumber in Highland Park at any time of the day or night. No matter the size of your plumbing problem. While these tips should help you avoid major damages in the future, you should also wait to go forward with any repair work until you’ve gotten in touch with the experts. We can guide you through the best repair practices. And we offer top-notch services to keep your plumbing systems in working order for many years to come.