Tips for Making Your Plumbing System More Efficient
Your home’s plumbing system becomes bogged down, thus working less efficiently over time. There are many factors that contribute to this, including lack of maintenance and misuse. When this goes neglected for too long, it grows worse, leading to even bigger problems.
Fortunately, there are ways to keep your plumbing running smoothly and efficiently. Since some of these tips are specific to certain plumbing systems, you’ll want to double-check that it will work for your plumbing.
Maintain Your Plumbing System Regularly
Routine maintenance should always occur with everything within your home. When it comes to drains, simply remove the cover and look for any hair or soap-scum clogs. By removing these regularly you’ll avoid any major backups. Use liquid pipe cleaners or a 20 ft. drain snake to clean the pipe’s entire length. Either way, make sure to follow directions all the time.
Update Your Faucets and Shower-Heads
Shower-heads and faucets age, causing their connections, seals, and washers to corrode. When this happens, water starts leaking, leading to a higher water bill and possible damage to your home. Lime, rust, and soap-scum deposits can also seriously cut water flow, making it difficult to get any pressure.
Install a Low-Flow Toilet
Older toilets are half as efficient as newer ones and if your toilet is continuously running, that’s even worse. Instead of adjusting the toilet’s float ball, install a low-flow unit instead.
Update Your Appliances
Dated appliances use much more water than necessary. This is especially true for dishwashers where food can slip into their drainage system and build-up in the pipeline. These older units need replaced with a WaterSense dishwasher with a built-in disposal. While this is expensive, it is worth it.
Don’t Overlook the Laundry Room
Make sure to take a look at your washer’s hoses regularly to make sure that they’re not leaking. When you’re ready to replace and update your washer, look for a water-efficient model that uses about 27 gallons of water per load.
For instance, a front-loading washer only uses between 20 and 25 gallons while older, more inefficient washing machines needs as much as 56 gallons of water per load.
Interested in going green? Call Metro Sewer and Plumbing at (423) 855-0967 to make your Chattanooga home more energy efficient.