What to Know About Your Home Plumbing - By Mark Maupin
If you're not a plumber you may be of the mindset that your plumbing is something that you need to know little to nothing about, until there is a problem, then you can call a real plumber in to fix it. While this works for most people it is still a good idea to have a general knowledge of the plumbing in your home.
Emergency Shut Off
No one wants to think about what ifs, but the truth of the matter is there are plenty of what ifs that could happen. From natural disasters like tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes, to freak accidents like an exploding pipe, there are plenty of things that can happen which would leave you needing to know how to shut off the water in your home.
Find out where your emergency shut off valve is. There should be one main knob that you can turn to stop all water from flowing into your house.
Check Your Water Heater
Water heaters are usually set well by the manufacturer. But, it doesn't hurt to check yours out from time to time. Generally, they should be set in the ballpark of 120 degrees. This will make sure you have plenty of hot water when you need it. Some people decide to set the temperature a bit lower on their water heater to save money on heating the water, but it is important to keep in mind that anything cooler may not properly clean your dishes and pots when you run the dishwasher.
You should also give your water heater an annual cleanout. The inside of your water heater is metal, and metal and water tend to lead to sediment that will sit at the bottom of the tank. Once a year you should shut the power off to the water heater and once it cools down drain out the water and clean it out. IMPORTANT NOTE: BEFORE you put the power back on to the water heater, make sure to refill it with water.
Kitchen and Bathroom Fixtures
The parts of your plumbing you use every day are your bathroom and kitchen fixtures. These faucets and other pieces are worked day in and day out. You should therefore keep these cleaned regularly, and understand that after a few years of constant use they may need to be replaced.
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