Moving into your own home can be exhilarating. It involves many activities such as moving cleaning, furniture, arranging your stuff, and many more. With the barrage of activities that you need to do, it is easy to forget about the plumbing aspect of the house. Sure, it will be easier to call a plumber for this job but there are times that some problems can be easily prevented or fixed by you even if you don’t have any plumbing skills. Before you pick up that phone, you can do these 10 practical plumbing tips first and you will surely save time and money.

Tip #1: Familiarize the Location of Shut-off Valves

One of the most important tasks you need to do when you move to a new home is to know where the shut-off valves are located. This is important because when a plumbing accident happens, you will know where to go and shut the water off before it floods your space.

Tip #2: Locate Water Pipes Behind Walls

Another task when you move in is to know whether there are pipes that run inside your walls. It is necessary for you to locate them because it will prevent you from puncturing any holes on the pipes when you want to drill a hole to your walls. Locating these pipes can be possible by using a stud finder or a endoscopic camera.

Tip #3: Only Toilet Papers for Toilets

The only thing that you can flush away in your toilet without clogging it is toilet paper. Anything other than that can lead to problems, yes, even those flushable baby wipes.

Tip #4: Don’t Treat Sinks as a Garbage Dump

Leftover food is never good for your sink pipes. It is best that you dispose of the food debris through proper waste disposal. You can also use a sink filter to help you catch smaller particles that are hard to remove without water.

Tip #5: The Plunger is your Bestfriend

One of the most useful tools in plumbing is a plunger. It can do wonders for clogs in your sinks and toilets. It is important that you need to invest in a good-quality plunger because those cheap ones usually do not have enough force to push or suction debris out of the pipes.

Tip #6: Keep a Wet-Dry Vacuum within Reach

There may be situations when a plunger won’t cut for the job. This is when hard objects clog the pipes. Using a plunger can push the hard object further down the pipes, a situation where you want to prevent it because it makes the object harder to remove. In times like this, you can use a wet-dry vacuum to pull out what is clogging the drain.

Tip #7: Stop the Drip

A water leak may seem harmless but if you measure the water it drips for 24 hours, you will see that it can actually cost you 8 gallons of water a day down the drain. A running toilet is much worse since it wastes 200 gallons a day. If you want to save money, fix the drip immediately. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call a pro (like Cincinnati, OH 24 hour emergency plumbers).

Tip #8: Never too Tight

Whenever you fix connections or fittings, always remember not to tighten them excessively. When it is too tight, it can cause cracks or stripping on the bolts and screws. The right amount of force is just hand tight.

Tip #9: Use Plumber’s Tape

A plumber’s tape, also known as Teflon tape, can be very useful when you want to seal leaking fittings. You can use it to wrap around a pipe before you use a sealant to make it more secure. These Teflon tapes are also color-coded. The yellow ones are for sealing gas lines while the white tapes are for any plumbing-related projects.

Tip #10: Routinely Check for Leaking

Even the best of plumbers can overlook a leak, especially if it is not noticeable. It pays when you routinely check all fittings and connections once every few months. This will make you notice if there were some places that are a little bit lose or has holes in them. By doing so, your house will less likely have water damage and you will also stop wasting water early before it jacks up your water bill.