Keeping Household Pipes Clean
There are areas of your home which may not always be on your daily or weekly cleaning schedule. Dusting under your refrigerator takes a special day, cleaning under your furniture is sometimes overlooked, and getting into all those hidden spots can take some preparation. Your home is full of an area that you can’t really see. It’s easy to forget what you don’t notice out in the open. The pipes in your home are one of the biggest areas that homeowners forget about until something happens. Pipes run throughout your home and keep your water flowing from one end of the house to the other. As with any item in your home, your plumbing can sometimes get a little dirty on the inside. Hair, sediment, and other items can slowly build and clog your pipes with little to no warning. Dumping strong chemicals down your drain can often do more harm than good if you’re not sure what’s inside. Check out the tips below to learn how to safely and effectively keep the pipes in your home free of buildup.
Install a Water Softner
Depending on where you live in the United States this option may or may not help you. Some areas are known for their higher than normal level of minerals. This, in turn, gives your water some added minerals as well. When an area has higher than average mineral counts then the water can become “hard”. Hard water means that your water is full of lime, calcium, and a wide variety of other minerals. Not sure if you have hard water in your home? Take a peek at your shower head next time and see if there is a white, flakey buildup starting to form. Faucets throughout your home can get a white buildup as well. If you’re still unsure about the water in your then a reputable plumbing service like DBs Plumbing & Drain can help. The main issue with hard water is its ability to cause sediment to build in your pipes a lot faster than it normally would. The best course of action is to install a water softener to help with any hard water you might have. A water softener has a filter which water is pumped through to help remove the added minerals. It’s a great way to make sure your water doesn’t leave buildup in your pipes.
A Drain Auger
If you have pipes which you’re almost certain are near the point of being completely clogged then thinking fast and taking necessary steps to get them unclogged is important. There are a lot of methods for unclogging the pipes in your home. Home mixtures from reputable sites are popular for getting your pipes clear. Unfortunately, there are some clogs which won’t go down without a fight. That’s where a drain auger comes in. An auger is commonly known as a drain snake and is often used as the last line of defense against a clogged drain. Cleaning with an auger is relatively safe on your pipes and isn’t likely to cause much damage if used correctly. The point of using a drain auger is to help break up buildup and clogs in order to get your water running smoothly again. If you’re able to break up an obstruction then chances are they can be flushed through the system and leave you with cleaner pipes.
Green Cleaners
A vast majority of cleaners you find in the aisles of your grocery store aren’t likely to do you any favors when it comes to helping get your pipes clean. If you have ever stopped to notice the back of the chemical label you may find something fairly startling. A majority of drain cleaners are created from either sodium hydroxide or sulphuric acid. These two chemicals can cause damage to your skin if you get any on you as well as breathing problems if you inhale too much. Instead of trying to pour these potentially dangerous cleaners down your drain, try a greener approach. Many companies are now shifting towards safer recipes which help clean your pipes without all the harmful chemicals involved. Going online will give you a list of these green products to use in your home. Another way to cut out the chemicals is by following homemade recipes found on reputable websites. These recipes may give you the same results as store cleaners without all the side effects.