Plumbing Tips You Need To Know When You’re Living In Birmingham

Your plumbing system is one of those aspects of your house that you never really gave much thought. For the majority of us homeowners, we usually take it for granted until one fateful day. Imagine it. You wake up, hop into the shower, and then you find out there’s no hot water. How exactly are you going to get through the rest of the day when your first activity for the day is already ruined by a cold shower? Instead of feeling revitalized and ready to conquer the world, you end up having a sluggish mood throughout the day.

Or worse, you’ve just gotten home from a holiday. Maybe you took a week off to go to the countryside with your family. You return to your home a muddy mess. Unbeknownst to you, there was a small leak in one of your pipes and your entire house was flooded. Aside from the exuberantly high water bill that you will receive that month, you’ll probably also have to replace all of your furniture and items that the water has gotten into. Forget about saving the carpet floors. Those will have to go away unless you want your house to be the breeding grounds for fungi and other allergens.

Living in a big city like Birmingham is undoubtedly a dream come true for just about anyone. However, there are a lot of things that you have to know, especially if it’s your first time owning a place and being alone. For example, did you know that over 20% of homeowners have to deal with a clogged toilet? If you don’t want to be part of this statistic, then read ahead. Here we have listed down some of the best plumbing tips you need to know when you’re living in Birmingham.

Use Pipe Insulators During Winter

The cold may not bother you, but it does bother your pipes. Without pipe insulators to help them heat up, your pipes can get frozen solid. Frozen pipes can cause the pipe to crack and endure substantial damage, not to mention you won’t get any water as it would block the waterway. Make it a habit to install pipe insulators a few days before the cold sets in so you don’t have to worry about them all winter long.

Look For Leaks

Every three months or less, you should go around and inspect your pipework to ensure that there are no leaks. Even micro-leaks should be addressed instantly, especially if it’s a gas pipe. One general sign that there’s a leak in your water pipe is if there’s a puddle nearby. This is usually accompanied by a musty smell and even mould growing on the walls. Your water bill will definitely decrease once you address these leaks. You can check out this article for some tips on how to deal with any water damage.

There are tell-tale signs when it comes to gas leaks. For your safety, companies add a distinct scent to the gas so that leaks can be quickly detected before something unfortunate happens. Other signs include a faint hissing sound and discoloured plants.

Both types of leaks should not be taken lightly. Left unaddressed, even the tiniest of micro leaks can lead to a house flood or worse, a house fire.

Don’t Throw Away Grease And Oil Down Your Drain

Grease and oil harden and solidifies as it travels down your pipes. This creates blockages that can lead to a burst pipe and a house flood. There are proper ways to dispose of your grease and oil. One easy way is to let it cool and solidify. Once it’s solid (you may have to put it in the fridge for a while), put it in a bag and throw it in the bin together with the rest of your rubbish.

Look For A Reliable Plumber

Hiring a reliable plumber is crucial if you don’t want to deal with plumbing problems regularly. One common mistake homeowners do is that they hire just about anyone without doing a proper background check or asking for their credentials. What this leaves them with is shoddy work that needs to be repaired again after a few weeks or months.

PlumbingForce makes finding a reliable plumber in Birmingham easy. All of the plumbers they employ are Gas Safe registered. And to make your life easier, they have a same-day service, so you don’t have to deal with your plumbing issues for more than a day.

Living alone, especially for the first time, is understandably scary. There’s no mom or dad to run to when there are problems, you’re left to your own device when it comes to budget, and you have to take care of all the cleaning and maintenance of your house. However, once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can confidently say that you possess the life skills needed to live alone as a grown-up.