Picture this: it’s the middle of the summer, hotter than an oven, and your water suddenly stops working. This is a total disaster, especially if you can’t find a plumber right away. That’s why it’s always good to know basic plumbing maintenance tips.

The better care you take of your plumbing and the more knowledge you have about how it all works, the less likely you are to find yourself in a pickle like the one above. If last year’s winter storms taught us anything it’s the importance of being able to solve basic plumbing issues. Read on to learn some essential plumbing maintenance tips for the next time you’re in a fix.

1. Make Preventative Maintenance a Habit

If you’ve never heard of preventative maintenance before now’s a great time to familiarize yourself with the concept. Basically, it’s the practice of carrying out tasks to prevent issues before they happen. This could be something as small as walking around your home and checking to see everything’s working or making sure to check your pipes on a regular basis.

2. Be on the Lookout for Leaks

When it comes to your plumbing leaks are a big no-no. They waste water and money and they often lead to larger problems. To prevent further issues from occurring make sure to inspect your faucets and showerheads on a regular basis for signs of leakage.

3. Say No to Overflow

If you accidentally clog your toilet don’t panic. There’s a simple yet always-effective trick you can try. If you open the tank and push the flush valve down you’ll stop the water and prevent an actual overflow from occurring.

4. Be Fastidious With Your Flushing

One good way to keep clogged drains to a minimum is to be more selective about what you flush down your toilet. The only thing you should be flushing down your toilet is toilet paper.

Don’t put anything like sanitary products, hair, or grease. This is a surefire way to clog up your drains or even cause a potential overflow to occur.

5. Restore Power to Your Shower

There’s nothing worse than a shower with inadequate water pressure. You want a good strong stream when you step into the shower in the morning.

Sometimes this is something you’ll need to get a local Longview plumber to help you with but there are some tricks you can try yourself first. You can clear any mineral deposits by unscrewing the showerhead and soaking it in vinegar overnight. This might help to create a stronger stream.

Plumbing Maintenance Made Easy

We hope these plumbing maintenance tips will make your life a little easier. If you do run into any more serious plumbing problems, don’t hesitate to contact plumbing services before the situation worsens.

At Alco Air, we’ve been serving the good people of Longview, Kilgore, and Marshall, TX for over 30 years. Give us a call for all your plumbing needs.