The plumbing system in your home is a complex network consisting of pipes, drains and appliances. A system this intricate may need more than a quick glance every year or so in order to prevent emergency plumbing situations. Here is a few simple precautions you as a homeowner can take to ensure that the plumbing in your home is working properly.

• Have a professional inspect the pipes in your home – It’s recommended you contact a plumbing contractor annually to conduct a thorough examination of your home’s plumbing. During this examination they will check the condition of all pipe work that is accessible and will replace any sections necessary. You can also use this time to notify them of any issues you may have been having for them to follow up on.
• Insulating Pipes – As you only know too well, winters here in Southern Ontario are extremely cold, making frozen pipes in the winter the most frequent emergency plumbing call. The water in the pipe freezes, which causes the pipe to expand and then crack, potentially causing a serious leakage and leading to even more damage and repairs. A plumber can install insulation to any exposed pipes that could potentially come into contact with cold air to reduce the likelihood of this.
• Drain Usage – Clogged drains don’t appear to be an emergency situation, however ignoring a clog in a plumbing system can lead to some serious consequences. The best way to prevent blocked drains, other than having pipes inspected, is to be extremely careful about what is put down the drains in your home. Avoid pouring liquids like grease or fat down the drains and install drain covers in your kitchen and bathrooms to catch hair and debris before they are allowed to enter the drain.
• Turn Water Off When Away – Some of the most damaging emergency plumbing problems are those that occur while the homeowner is away. If you’re leaving your home for several weeks or even several days, that’s just enough time for water to soak into fixtures, causing irreversible damage to the affected areas. To avoid this, consider shutting off the water supply to your home while you’re away for extended periods of time.

If you have any questions or would like a Go Green Plumbing service technician to perform a maintenance inspection on the plumbing in your home, please don’t hesitate to e-mail us at info@gogreenplumbing.ca or call at 289-244-9843.

Thanks for reading!