Nicholas Lepinski - 8 Useful Plumbing Maintenance Tips Nearly every homeowner experiences a plumbing problem now and then. Here are 8 helpful plumbing tips to keep things working well in your home Your home’s plumbing is an intricate system that brings in fresh water, heats it up for washing and distributes it around the house. According to Nicholas Lepinski, These plumbing tips will help you keep your system in good shape, so you can avoid the headaches and inconvenience of unexpected problems. 1. Don’t Flush That The only thing you should flush down a toilet is your own waste and toilet paper. A toilet bowl is not a trash can, so things like sanitary products, cotton swabs, plastic, hair and cardboard can build up in the line and cause a nasty clog. 2. Check for Tank Leaks with Food Coloring Is your toilet tank leaking into the bowl? Test it by putting some red food coloring in the tank and waiting an hour or so. If it’s leaked into the bowl by that time, you need to replace the tank ball to keep water from seeping out and lower your water bill. 3. Stop an Overflowing Toilet in Its Tracks Is there anything more hair-raising than watching the water level slowly rise in the toilet bowl? If you think it might overflow, open the tank and push the flush valve down. This will stop the water and buy you time to address the issue. 4. Clear a Blocked Toilet with Soap Don’t have a plunger? You don’t need one to clear a blocked toilet. You can often clear the blockage by adding hot water and soap to the bowl. Get the water as hot as you can out of the tap, and add as much as you can to the bowl until it’s full. Add liquid soap, and don’t be shy — you can’t add too much. The hot water will help break down the clog and the soap will help it get moving again. 5. Clean Showerheads with Vinegar Over time, shower heads get clogged with mineral deposits. This can make them less effective or even completely block them up. To clear the mineral deposits, unscrew the showerheads and soak them in vinegar for 24 hours. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s time to replace the showerhead. 6. Flush Your Water Heater Mineral sediments can accumulate in the bottom of your water heater, so you need to flush it once a year or so. Doing so will help it last a lot longer. If it needs to be flushed badly, it’ll start to make banging sounds. That’s the water bubbling up through a thick layer of sediment on the bottom of the tank. If not flushed regularly, sediment build-up can cause the tank to rust out. 7. Install Mesh Drain Covers Hair, chips of soap and other debris cause clogs when they fall into your drains. Mesh drain covers in your sinks, shower and bath can save you the trouble of having to snake your drains regularly.

1. The
Homeowner’s
Plumbing
Inspection
Checklist
Nicholas Lepinski

2. An annual general check-
up is important in keeping
your plumbing in tip-top
shape. Taking time to
inspect all the elements of
your home plumbing
system will allow you to
check on their current
condition and attend to
issues immediately.
Nicholas Lepinski

3. A plumbing inspection is best
done during the fall season
to give you time to prepare
for the upcoming winter.
Implementing repairs before
the cold months of the year
will help you avoid severe
plumbing problems. Here’s
an inspection checklist you
should follow!
Nicholas Lepinski

4. Search for rusty pipes and
fixtures. They may be caused
by damaged parts or high
mineral content in the water.
Nicholas Lepinski

5.  Guarantee that your
home’s water pressure
level is set correctly. It
should not be too low
nor should it be too
high.
Nicholas Lepinski

6.  Check your toilet’s
flushing mechanism.
Does it produce
weird sounds when
flushed? Does it flush
wastes efficiently?
Nicholas Lepinski

7. Your vent plays an important
role in your plumbing. Make
sure that your vent fans are
clean and free from dust, dirt
and other types of
obstructions.
Nicholas Lepinski

8.  Are your plumbing
fixtures installed
properly? Make sure that
your faucets, shower
heads and toilets are not
leaking.
Nicholas Lepinski

9. Take a look at your
pipes, both exposed and
hidden. They should not
be showing any
symptoms of leaking.
Nicholas Lepinski
(305) 887-1687 www.OrrPlumbing.com

10. Inspect your toilet and
guarantee that it’s
secured. It should not be
wobbling or rocking
especially when you sit
on it.
Nicholas Lepinski

11. Check on your sink drains,
floor drains and toilet drains.
They should all be draining
properly. Clogging and slow
draining are signs of bigger
problems that may be
attributed to your main
drainage lines or your venting
system.
Nicholas Lepinski

12. Examine your water supply
pipes or water hoses including
those of your plumbing
appliances: washing machine,
water heater and dishwasher.
Damaged supply lines should
be replaced immediately.
Nicholas Lepinski

13. Lastly, inspect your
water heater for problems.
Pipes should not be
corroded. The water
should not be smelly. The
anode rod should still be in
good condition.
Nicholas Lepinski

14. Follow this plumbing
inspection checklist we
compiled for you and
you’ll surely keep your
plumbing system in great
condition.
Nicholas Lepinski

15. If you need help from professionals,
just hire a licensed Plumber.
Nicholas Lepinski

16. Nicholas Lepinski delivers exceptional yet
affordable plumbing services in all of Miami-Dade,
Broward and Palm Beach County.
If you need professional plumbing help, don’t
hesitate to contact.
Nicholas Lepinski