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House Simple: Tips to Maintain Your Plumbing

Why is it important to catch plumbing issues early? To keep small problems from becoming bigger and more expensive! Watch this video to learn how to spot issues quickly and keep your plumbing problem-free, inside and outside your home.

Now that it’s warming up outside, some outdoor plumbing items may be needing your attention as well. Spring into swim season with these tips on opening up your pool, or get those lawn sprinklers going for a lush lawn!

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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

House Simple: Tips to maintain your plumbing”, presented by America’s Preferred Home Warranty

Hey homeowners, Jeff here for America’s Preferred Home Warranty. Today I’m going to show you how to do basic plumbing maintenance. Maintaining your home’s plumbing is a good habit and should be done every three months. That way you can catch small problems before they turn into big, expensive headaches.

Plumbing inspection

Okay, so to get started, let’s first walk around the home to check all the visible indoor and outdoor pipes and fittings for leaks and corrosion. This includes inspecting toilet tanks for any wear or leaks that could be increasing your water bill. If everything looks good, we can move on to the next step: Clearing your sink drains.

Drain cleaners

Now there are a lot of drain cleaners out there, but most of them aren’t good for your home’s plumbing system and can really cause a bigger problem down the road. So for the next step, I’ll show you how to clear your drains without those harsh chemicals.

First, start by pouring boiling water down the drain, then pour one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar, letting them combine in the drain. Next, you’ll want to plug the drain and wait about 15 minutes for the solution to make its way through the pipes. Once the time is up, pour boiling water down the drain a second time to wash the solution through.

Cleaning shower heads & aerators

Now vinegar is also a great cleaner for things like shower heads and faucet aerators. You can either remove these items and soak them in the vinegar or fill a small sandwich bag with vinegar and use a rubber band to keep it attached while it soaks for about an hour. Now this helps break down any calcium buildup that makes them less effective. Just be sure to give your items a good rinse afterward.

Plumbing maintenance

Finally, don’t forget the best maintenance is of course prevention, right? Be sure to clean hair and other buildup from sinks and shower drains regularly. And try to avoid putting things like grease, food waste, paper products, and other foreign objects in the sink or toilets. It also helps if you have your sump pump, sewer line, and septic system inspected yearly, so nothing catches you by surprise.

Thanks for watching, and remember—plumbing maintenance can prevent big problems that can be costly to fix. But if you’re an America’s Preferred Home Warranty customer, we’re here to help you if plumbing problems happen due to normal wear and tear.

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