The efficiency of your plumbing system may not seem like something you can do much about. After all, you’re not a plumber. And when there is a problem, you call in a professional to deal with it. There are simple steps you can take to help keep your plumbing system functioning properly and minimize the need for plumbing service or repairs.

General Home Tips and Money Savers

While you may never have realized it, plumbing actually uses up a lot of energy around your house. The hot water you use to wash clothes, dishes and to bathe all needs to be heated, and that costs money. Of course, you need hot water but you can control just how hot it is?

Most water heaters are set by default to 140°F, which is hotter than you ever need your water to be. A great and simple step to reduce your energy bill every month is to turn your water heater down to 120°F. This is plenty hot enough to take care of all of your hot water needs but it will make a big difference in your total energy consumption. This is also a great safety precaution in case you have young children in the home.

You can reduce the likelihood of plumbing problems if you reduce the number of chemicals you use around the house. Most of these chemicals eventually get washed down the drain where they can do some serious damage to your pipes. Switching to biodegradable alternatives will keep your plumbing healthy and minimize the number of costly repairs needed. This can also save your septic system, used by many homeowners around Red Oak, Waxahachie, Midlothian, Cedar Hill, Duncanville and Mansfield have.

Another danger to the integrity of your pipes is excessive water pressure. While you certainly do not want your water pressure to be too low, very high water pressure puts a serious strain on your pipes and can cause them to break down more quickly than they would otherwise. Have your incoming water pressure tested and adjusted so that it does not exceed 60 pounds per square inch. Duncan Plumbing Solutions can test & adjust your incoming water pressure.

Kitchen Plumbing Tips

The main problem people tend to have with their kitchen plumbing is a stinky or backed up garbage disposal. If these sound like problems you are dealing with on a regular basis, here are some quick tips to help.

If your garbage disposal gets clogged repeatedly, you may be putting too much down it at once. Try to feed scraps in slowly so that your garbage disposal can clear the previous batch before the next one comes in. You also need to make sure that you are running enough water while the garbage disposal is in action. An adequate water supply is essential to smoothly process waste. If you do not give it enough to work with it will quickly become clogged. If your garbage disposal becomes clogged, you can always call Duncan Plumbing Solutions.

Unpleasant odors coming from your garbage disposal are usually the result of food residue that has collected on and around the blades. You can often get rid of these smells by cutting up a lemon and putting that down the garbage disposal along with some baking soda. These natural odor neutralizing agents will be spread all over the inner chamber of your garbage disposal when you run it and are very effective at stopping the smell.

Bathroom Plumbing Tips

In the bathroom, one of the main sources of trouble is the toilet. If your toilet is running constantly or flushing randomly when no one is around, check the flapper valve at the bottom of the tank to make sure there is a good seal. Chances are that the seal is inadequate and water is constantly leaking from the tank into the bowl. This valve is quite easy to replace and you will be surprised how much water you can save by doing so. Duncan Plumbing Solutions can repair your running toilet.

Another frustrating problem that can develop in your bathroom has to do with your shower head. If the water is spraying out in all different directions or does not come out with consistent force, you probably have mineral deposits that have built up around the holes and inside of the shower head. Simply remove the outer covering of the shower head and clean the entire fixture thoroughly with vinegar and a tooth brush. That should take care of the problem.

Ducan Plumbing Solutions is here to help with money saving tips and ideas. Of course, if you find you are in need of a professional, do not hesitate to contact us!

Duncan Plumbing Solutions | Phone: 972-937-0040 | info@duncanplumbingsolutions.com | www.duncanplumbingsolutions.com | Cedar Hill TX 75104  | Duncanville Tx 75116  | Desoto TX 75115 | Mansfield TX 76063 |  Waxahachie TX 75165 |Master License # M-39624

The post Money Saving Tips for the Kitchen and Bath appeared first on Duncan Plumbing Solutions.