Whether you’re a new homeowner or one who has been established for years in your residence, you can easily say how many rooms you have and what color your walls are. But you may not be as aware of the internal structures as you should be. Here are 5 simple facts about plumbing guaranteed to help prevent problems!
FACT ONE: Every household has a water shut-off valve. Know where yours is!
Strange things happen. What happens if a water line ruptures? Or a pipe bursts in your ceiling?
If water starts pouring onto your floors or down your walls, what do you do?
Run for the shut-off valve!
Every household has a water shut-off valve. The problem is that not everyone knows where theirs is!
One of the most basic safety precautions is to teach each person in the family where that shut-off is and how to turn it off so that in an emergency you can stop the potentially damaging flow of water.
Consider labeling it so everyone knows what it is.
Where is your shut-off valve?
Your home’s water shut-off valve goes by various names: house valve, water main shut-off valve, or isolation valve. Regardless of the terminology, it serves the same purpose—to control the flow of water into your home.
Where to Look:
Water Treatment System: If you have a water treatment system (such as a water softener), there will likely be shut-off valves on one or both sides of the system. These are usually located near the vertical pipe below the treatment system.
Near the Water Meter: If you know where your water meter is in your yard, the shut-off valve is typically on the same side of the house as the water meter. Look for it within 8–12 inches above the ground.
Above the Water Heater: In some cases, the shut-off valve may be above the water heater. On the cold (right) side of the water heater, you’ll find two valves. The one closest to the wall is the main shut-off.
Buried Valves: Older homes may have buried shut-off valves. If you cannot find an above-ground valve, locate the closest hose bibb (outdoor faucet) to your water meter. It’s likely connected to an old gate valve buried in the ground. Consider replacing it and raising it above ground for easier access.
Knowing the location of your shut-off valve is one simple step to prevent big problems.
FACT TWO: Your main line drain clean-out is important!
Do not worry if you’re not exactly sure what the main line is. It’s more common for homeowners not to know than to know!
Fixture Lines:
Think of all the water-related appliances and fixtures in your home: the dishwasher, washing machine, sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and showers. Each of these has its own water supply line (bringing in fresh water) and a drain line (carrying away used water).
The Main Line:
Now, imagine all those drain lines converging into a single, crucial pipeline—the main line. It’s like the grand conductor of your plumbing orchestra.
Main lines are typically located beneath your concrete slab or in crawl spaces. They lead directly to either the sewer line (if you’re connected to a municipal sewer system) or the septic tank (if you’re in a rural area).
Cleanouts:
Most houses have outdoor line cleanouts—access points where you can maintain or inspect the main line. These are usually visible and accessible.
However, some older homes with cast iron piping might have buried cleanouts that aren’t immediately visible. These hidden cleanouts are essential for maintenance and emergency relief. Imagine your home threatening to turn into an indoor swimming pool of raw sewage, and you’ll understand how important it is to know where that clean-out valve is and open it!
FACT THREE: It matters what you flush down your toilet
We have all seen movies or heard stories about kids who flush teddy bears down the toilet or criminals who a toilet trying to flush ill-gotten goods down the commode.
The reality is that you may be doing something much worse for your plumbing if you are tossing “flushable wipes” into your toilet and pressing the lever.
“Flushable wipes,” “Kush for your tush” but bad for the bowl, are clogging up systems all over the world. While yes, the wipes may flush, that doesn’t mean that they deteriorate quickly. Instead, they linger in sewer pipes and pile up, creating what’s known as “fatbergs.”
Fatbergs are increasing in size in large cities across the globe and causing clogs in underground sewer pipes. London had to break up a fatberg that weighed more than eleven double decker buses!
Knowing what to flush down your toilet is one straightforward way to avoid problems. Keep it simple and follow the “3P” rule. Only flush pee, poop, or paper! Toss the “Flushables” into the trash.
(Did you know that in some areas of the world where the plumbing is less advanced, it is ILLEGAL to flush even toilet paper? Turkey, Egypt, and Greece all have rules against flushing toilet paper down the drains!)
FACT FOUR: You should know what your plumbing pipes are made of
The age of your home may dictate what kind of plumbing pipes were installed when it was built.
Old homes may originally have pipes made of lead. In fact, because they lasted a long time, it is estimated that between six and ten million lead service lines still exist in America, even though the installation of lead pipes was outlawed in 1968. Then there are galvanized steel pipes which fell out of favor because they corroded easily.
PCVP pipes are plastic that crack, allow chemicals into the lines, and have less than a ten-year lifespan.
Hopefully, your pipes are made of either copper or PEX line, both durable, reliable, and resistant to rust and corrosion.
Knowing what your system consists of is a big part of preventing plumbing problems!
FACT FIVE: How old is your water heater?
Water heaters are essential to our daily lives. No one wants to take continuous cold showers or do dishes in frigid water.
But water heaters are usually stashed away in garages, basements, or utility rooms. No matter how important they are to us, they are relegated to “behind the scenes” duty. The truth is that we often forget about them.
But knowing the age of your water heater is a simple fact that will help you prevent plumbing problems.
No matter how reliable your old water heater has been, it will not last forever.
Signs you may need to replace your water heater:
If your water heater is set to 130 degrees and it feels lukewarm, something is wrong.
If you get hot water, but only for a few minutes.
If your water has a tint of red, rust, or brown.
If you see stains or rust on the outside of your water heater.
If you see drips or puddles of water at the base of your water tank.
How to tell the age of your water heater?
Most water heaters come with a label that indicates the date of production. However, if your model lacks a prominent label, check the serial number. Manufacturers typically encode the date within the serial number, although the format may vary.
A quick online search can help you decipher how the specific company that made your water heater indicates the date of manufacture in the serial number.
Here’s the good news!
ServiceOne offers yearly plumbing inspections for a nominal fee that will help you prevent any problems. By finding small issues before they become BIG, you can save yourself lots of money and stress while getting rewards like “head-of-the-line" service and discounts on parts and repairs.
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