10 Facts About Plumbing that Every Homeowner Needs to Know

Plumbing is not a job you want to mess with. Most homeowners don’t have a clue about what’s going on with their plumbing system. If your home has a bunch of little plumbing problems, then you might not even be aware of it. You probably know that the air conditioning is on the fritz or something is wrong with the hot water heater, but there are other common plumbing issues that might be happening in your home that you don’t even know

Here is a continuation of the 10 facts about plumbing that every homeowner needs to know:

6. The ideal water temperature for bathing should be no more than 125°F

If you don’t want to get scalded while taking a bath, Plumbing Dynamics suggests setting the temperature of your water heater to 125 degrees F and below only. Beyond that will be very risky as it only takes seconds to burn your skin at a temperature of 140 degrees F.

7. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of water is used for flushing the toilet.

Water conservation is not only encouraged to save and make this planet more sustainable in the future. We conserve water to also lessen our water bill. Did you know that 38% of our water consumption in the household is allotted to flushing the toilet? Every homeowner must know that about a hundred million toilets in the US consume as much as 7 gallons of water in every flush, when in fact the National Energy Policy Act only legalizes a maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush. With a dual flush toilet, you can save approximately 67 percent on your water bills.

8. “Flushable” wipes are not flushable at all. Don’t flush them.

This is why we have to consider installing water-saving fixtures like low-flush toilets or dual-flush toilets so we can at least diminish the costs of water consumption at home.

One way to take good care of our plumbing system is to avoid flushing things such as baby wipes, toilet paper, plastic wrappers, food wastes, and other nasty debris down the toilet. Toilets should not be used or treated like trash cans. Ease Plumbing recommends homeowners never trust labels that say “flushable” and as much as possible, to flush only the essentials.

9. Vinegar and baking soda mixture can help your drain problem.

Most homeowners would usually resort to drain cleaners each time they have clogged drains. Of course, drain cleaners are readily available in local stores and are easy to apply. However, we have to remember those drain cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can cause more damage than good to our pipes. A better and safer DIY alternative is mixing vinegar and baking soda. Pouring together half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda will create a bubbling effect that effectively works magic in terms of removing that debris or backups obstructing your drains.

10. Everyone should know where the shut-off valve is located.

Take it or leave it, still, a lot of homeowners do not actually know where to find their home’s main water valve. This should not be the case. Our main water valve, being the home’s main source of water, comes in handy in case of plumbing emergencies such as burst pipes or a major leak. It is the main thing we need to shut off in order to prevent bigger damage and lessen the impact of the problem.

Save Your Plumbing by Knowing and Applying What You Know

As homeowners, it is our responsibility to know things relevant to our plumbing system. Sometimes, we end up detecting a plumbing problem when it is already too late and the damage has already gone too far. Sad to admit, many of us still lack awareness about how the plumbing system works and so we suffer and bear the consequences in the end. This is where the importance and power of knowledge come in. By knowing those facts mentioned above, we are given the idea of how we can apply what we know to properly maintain our plumbing and avoid unnecessary burdens.

References:

www.options-skills.co.uk/2018/05/07/facts-about-plumbing/

https://plumbingdynamicsdallas.com/15-interesting-plumbing-facts-and-tips/