Nothing feels worse than making your way to the bathroom to find a clogged toilet, or looking forward to a hot shower after a long day at work, only to find out the water heater isn’t working. There are several ways to improve your bathroom functionality to ensure these scenarios do not occur, and one of the most important is a solid relationship with your residential plumbing services.
Once you’ve created your dream bathroom with just the right color scheme, light fixture designs, and storage needs, the last thing you want is bathroom plumbing issues. Fortunately, there are specific tasks and maintenance tips that can keep bathroom functionality at its peak.
Let’s take a look at the six ways you can make your bathroom as functional as can be.
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1. Prevent Toilet Troubles
We’re sure you’ve heard this notable advice before, but it definitely bears repeating. One of the most common reasons we get emergency calls from our customers is because toilets are overflowing and not responding to plungers.
In order to prevent this, make sure that you and your family members only flush toilet paper and waste down the toilet. Even hair can eventually build up and cause back-up. If your toilet is overflowing, push the flush valve down that’s located in the tank in order to stop the flow until plumbers can arrive.
Inspecting your toilet’s inner workings twice a year is a good preventative plan. Simply flush the toilet while looking in the tank and make sure the fill valve stops running after the appropriate amount of water has filled, and the flapper is sealing as intended.
2. Stop Water Leaks
Do you hear your toilet running long after you’ve flushed it? Is there water pooling around your toilet, shower, or bathtub? Is there a constant drip coming from your faucet?
All of these scenarios suggest a water leak that may turn into a costly repair. Inspecting leaks is an important safety measure that should be part of your home maintenance routine.
Leaky faucets in bathrooms including your tub, shower, and sink, can cause water to pool under floor tiles and in cabinets, eventually resulting in areas ripe for the accumulation of toxic mold and mildew along your floor space. If you notice exposed pipes with drops of water or rust on the outside, it’s time to call us.
If these leaks are recurring, or water appears rusty, it may be possible that your pipes have corroded and it’s time to replace them. Copper re-piping is recommended for long-term bathroom plumbing and bathroom improvements.
3. Clear Drains
Drains accumulate debris, and there’s really no way around it. Of course, we do recommend good quality drain covers to help protect them from hair and other waste. If you find hair is repeatedly causing clogs, a good barbed drain cleaning tool can be used to pull hair clogs out.
Every now and then, however, you’re going to need a professional drain cleaning. By using hydro jetting (which is high-pressurized water), we can clear debris that has solidified and taken up space in your bathroom.
Hydro jetting is so powerful that it can even clean out tree roots that have made their way through cracks and crevices in to your pipes. This extreme pressure can cause damage, and thus should only be conducted by a licensed and experienced plumber.
Another consideration is sewer repair. If you’re finding that your bathroom shower, tub, and/or toilet are not draining properly, or there is an unusual smell coming from your bathroom, that may signal a deeper issue. This should be addressed immediately as sewer leaks can lead to unsanitary conditions.
A few other signs are toilets that back up repeatedly, mold that is caused by a leak in the main line inside your home’s walls, green patches of lawn, and cracks in your foundation, walls, or ceiling. If your bathroom feels sticky and smells foul, get it checked as soon as possible.
In addition to sewer camera inspections that use a tiny camera to inspect sewer lines, we also offer trenchless sewer pipe repair. This budget-friendly process does not require tearing up driveways and landscaping by digging open trenches. Improvements are therefore made with an environmentally sound approach.
4. Flush Water Heaters
It’s easy to take your water heater for granted. Even a recent bathroom remodel may have overlooked this important heating mechanism that provides hot water for a shower, bath, and cleaning.
In order to keep it working at its best, it’s important to flush your water heater out once a year. This process involves draining the tank and emptying the hot water heater completely before flushing. This action helps prevent the build-up of accumulated mineral sediments and will extend its lifespan.
We also recommend tankless water heaters. They work by heating water in-line and use 30 to 50 percent less energy than traditional water heaters.
5. Clean Shower Heads
Bathroom shower heads and bathtub faucets can get clogged with mineral deposits. A simple bathroom solution that involves little technology is the use of white vinegar. Simply soak faucets and shower heads in a plastic bag that’s been filled with vinegar for about an hour or two.
The acetic acid in the vinegar does a remarkable job of dissolving mineral deposits. When added to warm or hot water, it also removes mildew from your shower curtain. You can also use this as a cleaning agent for bathroom shower walls, bathroom tiles, medicine cabinets, bathroom storage, and even grab bars.
Speaking of grab bars, those living with seniors should install them in all bathrooms of the house. Safety matters, and we’ve heard too many stories about serious falls occurring due to slippery surfaces. Make sure to go through your space and install grab bars in common areas such as the toilet and the tub. Thankfully, you can get sleek grab bars that make a design statement without taking up too much space.
6. Schedule Residential Plumbing Services
Fixing your bathroom designs and making the space feel homey is just one part of the equation. Simply put, you don’t miss your bathroom functionality until it’s gone.
Scheduling residential plumbing services every six months allows these experts to look for potential issues your bathroom may have and nip them in the bud. This includes bathroom inspections, leak detection services, flushing water heaters, and professional drain cleaning.
In addition to scheduled maintenance, we are available for emergency services and are on time every time. We know how much time and money you’ve invested to increase and sustain your bathroom functionality, and we understand the importance of immediate action. Call us at Bobby Blue Plumbing today so that you’ll have peace of mind tomorrow.
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