6 Useful Kitchen Plumbing Maintenance Tips
You may pride yourself on how well you know your way around the kitchen. But how well do you know your kitchen plumbing system? Are you prepared for kitchen plumbing maintenance problems like leaks, damage, or other pluming problems? Most of all, do you have the number of a plumbing company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that you can call when something goes wrong? To help you out, we’ve put together a quick list of kitchen plumbing maintenance tips to care for your plumbing and deal with problems quickly.
Routine plumbing maintenance keeps system running efficiently and prevent water damage. It also keeps you from spending money on plumbing repair in Broken Arrow.
As we stated before, 99% of kitchen involve water leaks, which can cause extensive damage in your kitchen. Once water leaks out of the pipes, it can spread quickly through the flooring and walls, causing severe structural damage. If the water sits for a long time, you can expect mold to grow.
A simple plumbing problem has now turned into a costly construction or wiring problem. While it’s easy to ignore those pesky leaks, your best best is to contact a plumbing company in Broken Arrow and fix the problem right away.
PEX plumbing is plastic tubing that consists of high-density polyethylene. When doing plumbing installation in Broken Arrow, contractors use PEX for traditional system and radiant floor heating tubing. There are several characteristics of PEX plumbing that make it popular.
1. Know Where the Water Main Supply Valve Is Located
Lets’ start with the most basic thing you need to know about your plumbing system: where the water main supply valve is located. Knowing where you water main supply valve is can prevent catasrophic water damage if a pipe or fixture ever busts. While there are more immediate valves located in your kitchen – usually under the sink, there are times when you need to turn off the main water supply to the house. Depending on the type of home you have and your plumbing system setup, your main water valve will be located in the following places.- Near the inside water meter
- Near the outside water meter
- Underground near the outer property line (close to the street)
- Near the inside submeter
2. Schedule Routine Kitchen Plumbing Services
Like any other component in your house, your plumbing system needs maintenance. How often should you schedule maintenance? Most Plumbing companies in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma agree that you should schedule plumbing maintenance annually. At the most, you should try to schedule an inspection every two years. What do kitchen plumbing services include? A professional home plumbing maintenance checklist usually involves the following:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3. Keep Some DIY Plumbing Tools in the Kitchen
You never know when a plumbing emergency will happen, which, in most case, involves a water leak. Having a few tools around can help minimize the problem until a professional kitchen plumbing services technician arrives. The right tools can help you tackle nearly any problem that pops up in the kitchen. What are the best tools for kitchen plumbing?- Channellocks (a.k.a., water pump pliers)
- Pipe wrench
- Basin wrench
- Drain auger (a.k.a., drain snake)
- Plumbing tape, sealant, and pipe caps
- Pipe cutters
- Standard screwdrivers
4. Learn How to Use Your Garbage Disposal Properly
Part of plumbing maintenance is simply learning how to use your faucets and fixtures according to manufacturer specifications. Perhaps the one plumbing component you should take the time to learn how to use properly is the garbage disposal. You should learn what items you can and can’t feed the disposal, how often to schedule disposal maintenance, and what to do if the disposal beaks down. If you don’t learn how to use your disposal properly, you may have to repair or replace it prematurely, which can cost hundreds of dollars. Some practical garbage disposal usage and maintenance tips include- Run your disposal often – don’t let food build up.
- Read your user manual to find out what items you can put in the disposal – do NOT use a general guide or Google it. All models are different.
- Unplug the disposal if you need to repair it.
- Keep your hands out of the disposal even when you are not operating it.
- Use the proper tools to unclog your disposal.
- Avoid using bleach to clean the disposal.
- Use organic remedies like lemon juice to remove odors in the disposal.
- Clean the disposal every two weeks or according to the user manual.
5. Handle Kitchen Plumbing Problems Immediately
Some kitchen repairs are DIY projects. More advanced kitchen repairs call for a professional plumber in Broken Arrow, OK. All kitchen repairs need immediate attention.As we stated before, 99% of kitchen involve water leaks, which can cause extensive damage in your kitchen. Once water leaks out of the pipes, it can spread quickly through the flooring and walls, causing severe structural damage. If the water sits for a long time, you can expect mold to grow.
A simple plumbing problem has now turned into a costly construction or wiring problem. While it’s easy to ignore those pesky leaks, your best best is to contact a plumbing company in Broken Arrow and fix the problem right away.
6. Learn About PEX Plumbing
PEX plumbing has been around since the 1980s. However, it’s only become popular with building contractors and homeowners over the last decade. Slowly, more homes contain PEX plumbing instead of traditional plumbing (PVC, steel, or copper). So it’s a good idea to learn about PEX plumbing so that you understand what type of system is running through your house.PEX plumbing is plastic tubing that consists of high-density polyethylene. When doing plumbing installation in Broken Arrow, contractors use PEX for traditional system and radiant floor heating tubing. There are several characteristics of PEX plumbing that make it popular.
- Affordable
- Sustainable
- Acid-resistant
- Zero mineral buildup
- Lower water turbulence
- Not thermally conductive
