Keep your pipes clean!

As a homeowner, I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping the waste line pipes in your home clean.  As Public Insurance Adjusters, what we often see while inspecting damage to a home caused from a broken pipe or back-up can take your breath away, literally.  You are first hit with an odor that makes your eyes water and then comes the vision! 
 
No one wants this to happen so you must do your due diligence in preventing damage from occurring. Here are some important tips to help keep your pipes clean and avoid blockages and back-ups in your home:
 

• Discard used cooking oil in a sealed container and place in garbage - NEVER put down sink or disposal.
• Collect as much food waste as you can and discard in the garbage. If you do use the disposal, run with hot water and then turn disposal off and let hot water continue to run for a few seconds – this helps to wash away stuck debris.
• 1-2 x weekly – clean your disposal with vinegar and hot water and clean the underside of the rubber which gets caught with food which causes a nasty odor.
• When washing hands or dishes, make sure you use hot water to dissolve the soap and rinse sink thoroughly leaving no soap residue in the drain.
• NEVER flush hair, dental floss, cotton balls or cotton swabs down your toilet. Discard in them in the garbage and this will help to avoid clogs and back-ups.
• NEVER flush “flushable wipes” down the toilet – wrap them in tissue and discard them in the garbage. Contrary to what you think, they do not dissolve well and clog pipes.
• Everyone prefers soft toilet paper, but it is BEST to use single ply septic approved toilet paper which will dissolve quickly and avoid clogs.
• Place a mesh screen over your tub or shower drain to avoid hair clogging the drain.
• NEVER ignore a slow draining sink, shower or tub drain.  Call a plumber to check for clogs or broken lines.
• Install a screen in your washing machine hose to catch lint.
• It is also good to have a plumber drain your hot water heater every year.  This will help to prolong the life of your water heater and will also allow the water flowing through it to remain fresh and rust free.

 
We are always careful in our own homes and probably more so from what we see as Public Adjusters.  Call us at 561-288-6434 or contact us here if you have any questions.  Make sure you do your part and protect your property to prevent the peace and tranquility of your home from being disrupted.