Nicholas Lepinski - 8 Useful Plumbing Maintenance Tips

Nearly every homeowner experiences a plumbing problem now and then. Here are 8 helpful plumbing tips to keep things working well in your home

Your home's plumbing is an intricate system that brings in fresh water, heats it up for washing and distributes it around the house.

According to Nicholas Lepinski, These plumbing tips will help you keep your system in good shape, so you can avoid the headaches and inconvenience of unexpected problems.

1. Don't Flush That
The only thing you should flush down a toilet is your own waste and toilet paper. A toilet bowl is not a trash can, so things like sanitary products, cotton swabs, plastic, hair and cardboard can build up in the line and cause a nasty clog.

2. Check for Tank Leaks with Food Coloring
Is your toilet tank leaking into the bowl? Test it by putting some red food coloring in the tank and waiting an hour or so. If it's leaked into the bowl by that time, you need to replace the tank ball to keep water from seeping out and lower your water bill.

3. Stop an Overflowing Toilet in Its Tracks
Is there anything more hair-raising than watching the water level slowly rise in the toilet bowl? If you think it might overflow, open the tank and push the flush valve down. This will stop the water and buy you time to address the issue.

4. Clear a Blocked Toilet with Soap
Don't have a plunger? You don't need one to clear a blocked toilet. You can often clear the blockage by adding hot water and soap to the bowl. Get the water as hot as you can out of the tap, and add as much as you can to the bowl until it's full. Add liquid soap, and don't be shy - you can't add too much. The hot water will help break down the clog and the soap will help it get moving again.