Buying a first home can be an exciting experience. It can also be a bit overwhelming, especially when it dawns on you that you’ve just taken on a huge financial responsibility. For most homeowners, the sudden realization of responsibility quickly translates into the reality of having to learn how to do basic maintenance. Plumbing maintenance is part of the deal.
Things like mowing the lawn and vacuuming carpets are no-brainers. They are highly visible maintenance tasks dictated by common sense. But I wonder how many new homeowners think about the maintenance aspects of their plumbing. They really should. Routine maintenance and handling minor issues as soon as they appear is the best way to avoid major failures resulting in serious and costly damage.
If you are a new homeowner, take your plumbing seriously. Below is a selection of tips and things you should know about plumbing as a new homeowner, courtesy of Utah-based Beehive Plumbing. Remember that a little effort on a regular basis could save you a ton of money down the road.
1. Find the Main Shutoff Valve
The most important thing any new homeowner could do in regards to plumbing is find the home’s main shut-off valve. This is the valve that shuts off the water coming in from the municipal main. It is usually located either on an interior wall in the basement or crawlspace or on an exterior wall directly facing the street.
Here’s the thing about the emergency shutoff valve: it’s designed to be easily accessible and easy to operate. In the event of a plumbing emergency, that’s what you want. You want the ability to quickly shut off the water before things get out of hand. So, as a new homeowner, find the emergency shut-off valve. You might even turn it on and off a time or two just to get the feel for how it works.
2. Regularly Check for Leaks
After locating the emergency shut-off valve, the next most important thing new homeowners can do is check the plumbing for leaks. You do not have to open up the walls and floors. Instead, just do a visual inspection of the plumbing under your sinks, all your fixtures, the water heater, and any exterior spigots.
Conducting a routine visual inspection every month or two increases the chances that you will discover a minor leak before it becomes a major problem. Minor leaks tend to be easy to fix. Major leaks, not so much.
4. Sink Drains Are Not Sewers
Next, new homeowners should understand that their sink drains are not sewers. It is not okay to flush anything down the sink. Never put fats, greases, and oils down a sink. Never clean paint brushes and drywall tools in a kitchen sink. That’s work for the utility sink. Treat your kitchen and bath sinks well, and they will continue to drain without issue. But abuse them, and you are asking for clogs.
5. Be Careful With the Toilets, Too
Toilets are designed to handle waste that wouldn’t be appropriate for a sink. But even a toilet has its limits. Only flush human waste and toilet paper down the toilet. Do not flush baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, diaper liners, or other things. If they don’t clog your sewer pipe, they are likely going to cause a clog somewhere along the municipal sewer system.
There are still more tips and tricks, but these five are enough to get the new homeowner started. Here’s the point: new homeowners are smart to learn all they can about plumbing so that they can practice routine maintenance.
