How to Reduce Your Home Plumbing Costs

At your house, money probably grows on trees; if so, a blog like this would hold no interest for you.  Of course, in the unlikely event we’re wrong, you might want to continue reading to discover several effective ways to reduce your home plumbing costs.  Because when you do, not only are you saving money, but a ton of potential aggravation and inconvenience at the same time.

Faucet and Sink Maintenance

• Even small drips can waste thousands of gallons of water.  The kind you can see are the easiest to fix.  But what about water leaking from pipes inside a crawl space or ice maker? If these go undetected long enough, all sorts of problems can occur, such as mold and mildew build-up, rotting wood, plus home structural damage.  Once a month or so, have a look inside cabinets that contain water pipes and pull your fridge away from the wall to clean and inspect for signs of water.

• Avoid using chemical drain cleaners as they can cause internal pipe corrosion and, eventually, the need for pipe repair or replacement.  Instead, use organic drain cleaning solutions only, including equal amounts of baking soda and white vinegar followed by a tea kettle full of piping hot water.  The latter works equally well in clearing and preventing clogged drains.

Keep an Eye on Your Water Heater

• Every month or so, inspect the area around your water heater for signs of leaking. Water pooled up around the base might indicate rust and corrosion inside the storage tank.

• If you spot rust on your storage tank or rust-colored hot water, once again the probable cause is internal tank corrosion.

• If you have a gas water heater, it needs to be professionally inspected once a year to help prevent carbon monoxide and gas leaks.

In the Bathroom

• If water is leaking around the base, it could mean your wax seal has dried up or cracked.  To find out, place a few drops of red food coloring inside the tank.  A few hours later, check inside the bowl.  If you see red, the seal probably needs to be replaced.

• You can still get clean without turning your shower on all the way. Using a less intense spray will automatically conserve water and lower your bills. If you take hot showers, using a weaker spray will also reduce the monthly cost of water heating, not to mention wear and tear on your water heater.

No plumbing fixture, part, or system is designed to last forever.  But through proper and regular maintenance, you can reduce the frequency and severity of home plumbing problems while saving not just money, but potentially huge quantities of water.

If you do have a plumbing problem you can’t resolve on your own, we invite you to contact Your 1 Plumber, your Germantown and Sykesville plumbing professionals.