Buying a new home is an awesome feeling. You know you're going to have some work ahead of you, but it should all fall into line fairly easily. But before you start shopping for furniture and a new grill, do you know what kind of maintenance your home will need? Here are a few great tips to help keep your water and sewer lines running smoothly and decrease the odds of having to find a 24-hour Pittsburgh plumber (though if you need one, we're here for you).
Plumbing Tips for New Homeowners
- Perform routine maintenance. This includes everything from flushing the sediment out of the bottom of your tank water heater to checking for leaks and cleaning your garbage disposal to cleaning out screens at washing machine intakes and dishwasher drains.
- Keep a basic toolkit. Many plumbing emergencies can be either handled entirely or significantly mitigated with basic tools on hand. Determine what kind of pipes you have and what fittings are common in your home, then keep a small supply handy — say a short length of pipe, a coupler, a cap and the tools needed to attach them. To that, add a drain snake, a sink plunger, a toilet plunger, two adjustable wrenches and a pipe wrench.
- Know where your main shut-off valve is located. It's typically located where your water pipes enter your home from the outside or at the meter. For that matter, know where all your shut-off valves are located — if you have one located for each water pipe going to each fixture or appliance, you can quickly shut off the water at the source of the problem, usually allowing you to keep water going to the rest of your home.
- Keep our number saved in your phone or address book. When it comes to emergency plumbing, Pittsburgh homeowners prefer our fast response and great service. Having our number handy means you don't need to worry about looking it up online or in the phone book at the last minute.
By keeping these tips in mind, you can keep your home's plumbing in great shape and working properly for years to come. If your new home needs a few upgrades, please feel free to contact us. With Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, you'll quickly find out why we're the plumbers Pittsburgh homeowners prefer.