Plumbing Tips And Tricks From A Plumber’s Wife

Plumbing is an essential aspect of any home, and being equipped with some basic tips and tricks can save you time and money in the long run. Here some of the top tips I’ve learned over the years being married to the best plumber I know.

Tip # 1 – Know Where Your Shut-Off Valve Is Located

You never know when a pipe is going to burst. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the location of the main water shut-off valve in your home, so you can quickly turn off the water in case of a major leak and prevent extensive damage. The location varies depending on which region you live in. They can be located outside, in the basement or the crawl space.

Tip # 2 – Buy The Proper Plunger

It could be because I’m married to a plumber or maybe that we have three boys, but I’ve learned that the right plunger matters. I have shown the top three from best to worst options for a plunger. You can guess which one is in our house.

Tip # 3 – Don’t Use Your Disposal As A Food Grinder

You have no idea how many calls we have gotten about garbage disposals over the years. The disposal is meant to grind food particles but not your whole dinner. Brent will personally tell you that absolutely NO PEELS should go down the disposal (fruit or vegetables). That is one of the number one culprits for clogging up your disposal. You should also never run grease or oil down the drain but if you do end up pouring a little grease in the sink, be sure to run HOT water behind it for a few minutes. Last but not least, never put rice down your disposal. It acts like a sponge and will clump up and clog your disposal and drain in no time.

Tip # 4 – Never Put Wipes Down The Toilet (even the “flushable ones”)

Although it sounds convenient to have flushable wipes in the house, especially with young kids, it’s not worth the hassle! We have seen many clogged toilets due to wipes and even the ones that are marketed as flushable have caused clogged drains. It’s best to play it safe and stick with good old fashioned toilet paper.

Tip #5 – Always Have Some Basic Tools On Hand

You never know what plumbing projects lie ahead and you want to make sure you have the right tools on hand. We recommend a pipe wrench, screw drivers, pliers, a socket set, hammer and drill. These tools will be able to get you through a broad scope of different work and at the least, help you loosen or tighten that stubborn pipe.

We hope some of these tips help you with your future plumbing needs and keep following along as we share more about plumbing, construction and design.