Prevention is absolutely crucial when it comes to the plumbing equipment in your Tampa Bay home or office. Oftentimes, there are simple DIY maintenance tasks you can do yourself to prevent any issues from arising.
6 Handy Plumbing Tricks
Performance is here to help Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota homeowners with the handiest of plumbing tricks.
1. Invest in a Shower Hair Catcher
Avoid constant drain cleaning! A hair catcher is a good investment for any homeowner’s shower, especially if you have people with long hair living in the house, as it helps you avoid constantly clogged drains in your home.
So, how does it work? Essentially, it acts as a strainer for your shower or tub drain, filtering out hair and preventing it from entering into your plumbing system.
2. Clean Your Sink Faucet Aerator
If you don’t know what your faucet aerator is or where it lives, not to worry. It’s the piece found at the tip of your water faucet, that screws on to the faucet head of your sink.
Once you locate the aerator, simply unscrew the piece and soak it in white vinegar overnight. This will help break down any mineral deposits and buildup and will prevent future malfunctions and clear any present issues.
Replace the faucet aerator and run your sink water to make sure any clogs have cleared. If necessary, you can repeat this whole process again.
3. Check for a Leaking Toilet With Food Coloring
Who knew you could use food coloring for plumbing resolution?
We did.
Pour a few drops of food coloring into your toilet’s tank.
Check the bowl after about 20 minutes to see if the water has changed colors.
If it has, this is a good indicator you have a leak.
4. Unclog Shower Head Using Vinegar
Just as vinegar was a helpful solution in clearing a clogged faucet, it also works wonders with clogs in your shower head.
Wrap your shower head in a Ziploc bag filled with distilled vinegar and cinch shut at the stem with a rubber band.
Allow the piece to soak for one or two days to ensure all the mineral deposits and buildup have been broken down.
Run the shower to make sure everything is clog-free and operating at peak performance.
5. Run Your Plunger Under Hot Water
Before using your plunger, run it under hot water to help soften the rubber and provide better suction.
It’s also helpful to pour a few buckets of hot (not boiling) water down the toilet before beginning to plunge.