If you take a quick look at the home improvement landscape today, it is easy to find insight into just about everything you can think of, which benefits homeowners looking to spruce things up & change the look of their home. While this isn’t inherently a bad thing, one area in which basic information is lacking regarding home improvement is knowing a bit more about important systems in your home, namely your plumbing system.
Your home’s plumbing is perhaps the most significant system simply because it is the one that tends to be forgotten the most. We use our plumbing everyday when we bathe, brush our teeth, use the facilities, and wash dishes. Still, most homeowners tend to view the movement of water in and out of their home as simply a given, and attention is rarely paid to it.
That is, of course, until something goes wrong. Plumbing issues can be catastrophic in nature, but then again, any issue with your plumbing and the chance for water damage can be considered serious if you’re not sure what to do about it. What can homeowners do to have better insight regarding their plumbing system?
It cannot be stressed enough that every homeowner should take the time to inspect the plumbing in the home. Start at one end of the house and go room by room checking on the condition of fixtures, water supply lines & valves, P-traps, and drains. Look for scale build-up, rust, corrosion, moisture, mold, or cracks. Take note of what you see, and if all looks well, make a note of that, too. Then, set a schedule to do the same thing, noting differences in what you see from check to check. This may seem a little odd, especially if you’re not a plumbing expert. However, plumbers & home improvement experts advise homeowners to make checks like these because even if they aren’t sure what they’re seeing is, they can usually spot when something isn’t quite right.
One other major bit of knowledge homeowners should have regarding their plumbing systems is knowing where system regulatory items are located. In other words, know where the important system bits are that help keep your plumbing in check. For starters, know how to shut-off the water to the house. Also, be sure to know where to locate water shut-off valves for fixtures in your home. These two places are key in helping reduce water damage issues, as well as keeping things in check for smaller repairs.
Finally, one of the least publicized plumbing system parts needs to be on your checklist. It’s important for homeowners to know where the clean-outs are for the sake of addressing clogs that may occur over time. You’d be surprised how much of what we allow to go down our drains can turn into the worst goop you’ve every seen. It may be unsightly, but the real issue comes from this goop causing back-ups into your home, which is never pretty.