Preventing Plumbing Leaks at Home to Avoid a Hassle
It is in your best interest as a homeowner to keep your plumbing system in good shape. By taking precautions to prevent plumbing leaks, you are more likely to avoid a plumbing emergency. Plumbing leaks tend to happen more in winter because of freezing temperatures. Try these four methods for preventing plumbing leaks at home so you don’t have to deal with a water interruption, damage, and an expensive plumber’s bill.
1. Insulate Exposed Plumbing
When a pipe freezes the frozen water expands and can cause the pipe to burst. To prevent the damage that a burst pipe can cause, use foam pipe insulation on all plumbing that is outdoors, in the crawlspace, or in an unheated basement. Wrapping your exterior faucets and disconnecting garden hoses will also protect your pipes from the cold.
2. Inspect Appliance Hoses
The hoses on appliances like your washing machine, dishwasher, and fridge don’t last forever. It is common to neglect these hoses until they spring a leak. Check these hoses for cracks, moisture, or if they just feel brittle. Installing replacement hoses before they fail is an easy and inexpensive home maintenance task.
3. Check the Water Pressure
Excessive water pressure puts stress on plumbing pipes and can wear on them over time. You can adjust the water pressure in your home yourself. It is recommended to keep your water pressure in the ballpark of 40-45 psi. to improve the life of your plumbing system and prevent plumbing leaks at home. Never let your water pressure go above 60 psi.
4. Install a Water Softener
Some cities’ municipal water supply is rich with minerals, or “hard”. While this may have health benefits, it is not healthy for your pipes. A precaution for preventing plumbing leaks at home is to install a water softening system to remove some of the mineral content. These systems can be purchased at home improvement stores and installed by a handy homeowner.
American Home Inspection Services serves Southeast Michigan with home inspection services. Contact us to schedule an inspection.