10 Tricks to Keep Your Pipes Durable at All Times
Cold weather is not good for your pipes. In fact, it can cause serious damage to your sewage system. If that happens, you will spend lots of money on fixing bursting pipes and flooding. On top of that, you’ll run short of water for a while, which is not pleasant.
However, cold weather is not the only reason your pipes burst. This is a common misconception. Even if you’re not from a cold area, you could still experience pipe problems. Here are the most important pipe tips to keep them durable at all times.
1. Don’t flush big items down the toilet
This should be common sense – unfortunately, many people make this mistake. They flush harsh paper towels or feminine hygiene items down the toilet and their pipes get clogged. Back in the days, the pipes used to be more resistant and would clog harder; however, toilets today use less pressure and water to flush, so the chance of getting your items stuck in the pipes is higher.
Find another way to get rid of the items that are currently going down the toilet. Don’t let them clog up your pipes and cause further problems. The only thing that should flush down the toilet is toilet paper. Try to make everyone in your household aware of this golden rule.
2. Heat must stay on
If you’re not going to be at home for some time, keeping the heat on is a must. Yes, I know you’ll be saving on heat expenses, but comparing those costs with the costs of buying new pipes… it’s simply not worth it. Pipes can freeze if you’re living in a cold area without heat on. This can cause serious water damage to your home, including flooding.
You don’t have to keep the heat as high as you normally would if you were in the house. Keeping it above 50F or 10C is sufficient.
3. Have hot water
If you don’t have hot water, your pipes might not function very well. These are some of the things you could check before calling someone to fix the problem for you.
First, check if you’ve got a water heater; and if you do, make sure it works well. Is its heat source on? Can the heater connect to the water? Making sure this runs well is the first step. Second, check if the size of your heater fits the size of your house. In other words, is your heater big enough to heat up your entire house? If it’s not, this could quickly cause your pipes to freeze.
4. Cover the holes
Prevent Burst Pipes
Your pipes could have holes and cracks in them, and you wouldn’t even know. Having worked as an essay writer online, I had no knowledge in this area. However, I was working remotely, so my house would get colder at times. I had no idea why or how until I realized that the holes in my pipes were letting cold air in. That’s when I decided to seal them up and be done with it. The pipes had to be sealed both on the outside and on the inside to ensure that cold air cannot pass through them.
5. Use heating tape if needed
If your pipes are on the verge of freezing and you’ve got no other option left, use heating tape. This is not a long-lasting option but it’s definitely something in case you need a quick fix for your freezing pipes. All you have to do is apply the tape on the pipe area that needs heat and let it sit for a while. After the pipe heats up, it can more easily unclog.
6. Keep them corrosion-free
If your pipes get clogged quite easily, you might be tempted to use chemicals to unclog them. That’s okay as long as you don’t use them too often. But chemicals can actually cause corrosion in your pipes so you’ll have to replace them more often. Replace the chemicals with something natural such as vinegar or baking soda. Professional essay writers recommend using chemicals only in case of an emergency. In the meantime, use natural substances or boiling water.
7. Fix the leaky faucets
Leaky faucet
Don’t let your leaky faucets be unfixed! You must fix or replace them as soon as you can. The process is not hard at all and it can save you serious money. Fixing them as soon as possible will lower your future bills and help you waste less water. If you cannot do it on your own, you can always contact someone to do it for you. Either way, you must fix your leaky faucets if you want your pipes to last long.
8. Replace metal with plastic
Sometimes, all you need is a quick tip to make your life easier. Did you know that plastic is way more resistant than metal when it comes to drain lines? The plastic lines can prevent leaks and won’t corrode in case you’ve got to unclog them. Your best option, if you’ve got such problems, would be replacing your metal drain lines with plastic ones.
9. Add extra insulation
If your pipes are not well-insulated, they definitely won’t last for too long. Get proper insulation to avoid freezing pipes and other similar issues. You could also fit them with fiberglass to prevent them from freezing. In any case, this brings me to my next point.
10. Know where to buy from
If you don’t buy quality, your pipes might burst or clog up quickly. Know where to buy from! Do your research and ensure that your money is spent on high-quality items and not something that easily collapses. Take care!
About Leon Collier
Leon Collier is a blogger from the UK, who works for dissertation writing services and loves to write about everything: pop-culture, history, travel, self-development, education, marketing. When not writing, you can find him behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12.
