4 Plumbing Maintenance Techniques to Keep Your Home Leak-Free

The thought of the damage that water leaks could do to your precious Allentown, PA home is stressful, to say the least. You don’t have to wait, worry and hope for the best though.

There is a great deal that you can do to ensure that you don’t have to deal with the headache of plumbing leaks at all. Our team of experts has compiled their wisdom for you. Here is what you need to know.

How to Avoid Pipe Corrosion

As minerals in your water interact with your plumbing, over time they will often cause corrosion. That rust will weaken your pipes, which will in turn cause leaks.

Take steps to slow or eliminate this process. Are there any white or green mineral deposits gathering on the outside of your pipes?

If it looks like that on the outside, you can only imagine what the minerals are doing to the inside, where it is enclosed.

Make sure to run your water frequently. You want to avoid leaving standing water in your pipes for too long. Upgrade your pipes to PVC. Install a water softener to make your water less likely to cause the rust.

Learn Where Leaks Are

Don’t wait for the water damage from leaks to appear to alert you to their presence. Be proactive and find them.

Start in your basement. Do you see any water damage? Listen for the sound of water rushing behind the walls. Are there any cold spots to the touch? There could be a leak in your foundation.

Make your way upstairs and check all of your pipes and plumbing fixtures for condensation or dripping water.

Don’t Use a Bottle of Drain Cleaner

No one is saying that dealing with a clog is easy, but the quick solution isn’t always the best one. In this case, dumping a bottle of commercial clog remover down the drain isn’t a good idea.

Firstly, it may not even work. Not all clog removers will work on all pipes. Furthermore, you are doing serious damage to your plumbing in the process.

The acid in the cleaners will eat away at your plumbing and cause leaks. Why not use a plumbing snake instead?

Bring Water Pressure Down

Water pressure that is elevated can cause leaks because of the extra stress it puts on your plumbing. Using a gauge, test the pressure.

If it exceeds 60 psi, have your plumber put in a water pressure regulator to help keep balance. You don’t have to be a professional plumber to keep leaks at bay.

Any motivated homeowner can follow these simple steps and master some basic plumbing techniques and habits that can help prevent leaks.