Protecting Your Pipes At Home

Learning about the inner workings of a house happens naturally with homeownership.  This includes, of course, learning how to deal with water pipes, gutters, drains and septic systems, should you have one. Over the years, the water pipes which run through our homes are prone to becoming clogged, to rusting, and to freezing.  Let's talk about some tips you can use to protect the pipes in your home.

Protecting Your Pipes At Home

​Unclogging A Drain

The pipes in your kitchen and bath are likely to become clogged after some time thanks to food, debris and hair.  Before reaching for those toxic drain cleaners, why not try one of these simple, natural DIY formulas first:

Baking Soda & Vinegar

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda, followed by 1/2 cup vinegar down drain. Plug drain, and let sit for one hour. Then, pour a pot of boiling water down drain. Repeat if necessary.

Borax, Salt & Vinegar

Pour 1/4 cup salt, followed 1/4 cup Borax down drain. Then, pour 1/2 cup vinegar down. Finish with a pot of boiling water. Let sit for one hour or until it clears; then, run hot tap water to rinse any remaining solution down.

Once you've used a liquid remedy to unclog your drain, follow up with  a tool like the The Green Gobbler to snake out any loosened gunky stuff.
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Noticing Rust

Rusty pipes are generally the result of extended exposure to high levels of oxygen. Rust (also known as oxidization) is the second-leading cause of pipe damage in copper, cast iron, and galvanized steel pipes (the first being pressure build up). The leading cause of leaks in pipes is corrosion from mineral build-up.

Metal pipes that carry hot water will rust before your pipes that carry cold water, and this is because hot water has more "suspended" oxygen that joins with the metal to cause oxidation.

There isn’t really too much you can do about rusting pipes short of  replacing them, and you will be able to spot when a pipe needs replacing when the area surrounding your sink drain turns green, or if there is a foul odor or taste to your water.

If your pipes are not significantly rusty, however, you can be proactive by wiping down the exterior surfaces of the pipes with mineral spirits, then applying a non-corrosive primer.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are a huge concern when temperatures reach below freezing. An external heat trace system from Heatline can help immensely.  A heat trace system is a heated wired system that is attached to the outside of both metallic and non-metallic pipes and runs parallel with the pipes, and is available in both 120v and 240v.  It's an ingenious, proactive way to avoid dreaded frozen pipes.
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What To Do If Your Pipes Burst

Sometimes it doesn’t matter what steps you take to prevent an issue occurring in your home, your pipes may fail under pressure or deteriorate and burst anyway. If you do find yourself in this situation, you need to turn off your water supply immediately and assess the damage. A burst pipe is not something you can resolve yourself, so it's best to bring in a professional as soon as possible.  Don't forget to call your insurance company right away as well, because chances are you'll be able to file a claim under your homeowner's policy. 

Infographic courtesy of The Balance Small Business

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There are always things that can go wrong in your home, and it will take making a few mistakes here and there during your first couple of years of homeownership to figure out what to do. Hopefully, though, these tips will help you look after the pipework in your home and ensure that you know what to do if something goes awry.