Pluming Tips To Prevent Leaks
Plumbing leaks are dangerous since they encourage mold growth, can cause structural damage, and waste resources. How you handle your plumbing installations, maintenance, or repair determine how prone the plumbing system is to leaks. Below are a few tips that professionals use to avoid plumbing leaks.
Ensure Proper Tightening
A typical plumbing installation involves joints that you need to tighten properly. A loose connection can lead to leaks because there will be some allowance between the two sections. Over-tightening a connection can also lead to leaks by damaging the materials at the joint. For example, you can damage a gasket, washer, or seal if you tighten a nut too much.
Use Flexible Tubes
Use a flexible pipe if you want the pipe to go through bends or angles. Otherwise, the pipe might develop hairline cracks that can lead to leaks over time. For example, the pipe connecting a faucet to the water supply pipe is typically bent. Flexible pipes can work better than rigid pipes.
Deburr Cut Pipes
The burrs that form on cut ends of pipes makes it difficult to join such pipes. The burrs form channels in which the plumbing cement or glue will collect and prevent a firm connection. Use a deburring tool, such as a utility knife, to get rid of the burrs before joining such pipes.
Limit Part or Material Reuse
Plumbing materials are susceptible to wear and tear, which weaken them over time. Aging materials are more susceptible to leaks than new materials. Limit your use of old materials when making a plumbing installation.
Use Adequate Insulation
Insulate your pipes to limit the risk of freezing. Frozen water expands, and the expansion can burst pipes and flood your house with water. The insulation keeps the pipes warm and reduces their risk of freezing.
Avoid Weights on Exposed Pipes
Don't use exposed plumbing pipes as storage places or hanger roads. Plumbing pipes are meant to carry fluids inside them and not on them or hanging from them. Some people use exposed pipes in their bathrooms to hang wet clothes or to carry cosmetic bottles. Such weights loosen pipe joints or connections over time and lead to leaks.
You can easily forget some of the above tips as a DIY plumber. If that happens, a leakage might occur and cost you more money than you saved with your DIY works. This is a great reason to trust your plumbing works to professional plumbers.
To learn more about this topic, reach out to a plumbing contractor near you.