New year, new house! Whether your lease is up and you are moving into a new apartment, or you have just bought your first home, you need to know how well the plumbing works. Here is some advice to follow to make sure your pipes don’t give you any trouble after you move into your dream home.
Find the Water Main
Knowing how to shut off the water supply is important. That’s because if a pipe bursts, you‘ll want to stop the flooding as quickly as possible. The best way to do that is to note where the water main is. You can look for it on the inspection report for your new home, but it’s also a good idea to go and look for it. Chances are, it’ll be in the basement. Make sure you can get to it whenever you need to – so don’t stack items in front of it.
Don’t Clog the Drain
Next, don’t clog your drains. It’s much easier to do this in the kitchen than in the bathroom. That’s because you’ll be inclined to pour grease, oil, and fats down the kitchen drain and through your garbage disposal. But what you might not realize is that you are doing serious damage to your plumbing. A blocked pipe can quickly become a nightmare. You’re much better off letting the oils and fats cool off before you throw them in the trash instead.
Use the Right Plunger
Keeping a plunger on hand is always a good idea. Whether you’re dealing with a clogged toilet or a blocked sink, having the right plunger can get rid of a nasty problem without you needing to do too much. Use a cup plunger for your sinks and bathtubs. If the toilet is the problem, then use a flange plunger instead.
Don’t Make the Water Too Hot
On cold winter mornings, you might want to turn the water’s heat up. Sometimes, turning it up in the shower just isn’t enough. This probably means you’ll go look at your water heater to see if you can adjust it. Don’t do this, because you could scald yourself.
All of Your Plumbing Needs from Master Plumbing
Give Master Plumbing a call at (301) 650-9100 or contact us online to get more information on how our expert plumbers can help you with your dripping faucet (or just about anything else plumbing related!). We have received Angie’s List Super Service Award recognition for plumbing and drain cleaning every year since 2007, in addition to the Best Plumber award from Best of Bethesda. We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and our service is unparalleled. Give us a call today—you won’t regret it! To see examples of our projects, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.