How to Keep Your Bathroom and its Pipes in Working OrderBroken and burst pipes, clogged drains, leaking taps… You could probably compose a malaise drama out of the woes of poor plumbing. Unlike other household malfunctions (that are often just small inconveniences), damaged plumbing can wreak absolute havoc on your home - flooding, horrible odours… The biggest and most destructive offender of the old plumbing disaster though, is most definitely the tap-laden bathroom.

Here are a few ways to keep your bathroom in great working order and to avoid any nasty plumbing problems.

1. Ensure there is nothing going down your drains or toilets that could cause blockages.

Toilets are designed to exclusively flush human waste and toilet paper. That means no kitchen paper, no face wipes, no kitty litter, no sanitary items, no dental floss, and no food scraps (believe it or not, food scraps are common). Aside from the nasty blockages caused by such items (yes humble floss is one of the biggest offenders), flushing a toilet uses between 4 and 13 litres of water every flush, so any unnecessary flush wastes litres of precious clean water.

Shower and sink drains often become clogged with hair and soap residue, and while it is difficult to control how much hair you lose (if only), you can definitely avoid this becoming an issue by clearing the drain after each use, or more simply, by using a strainer. Like the toilet, drains are designed to process limited substances; namely water and cleaning products (though not excessively harsh ones). Fatty substances like oil and food residue and even very harsh cleaning chemicals will stick to the inside of your pipes and cause build up and blockages or damage toy your pipes. This is also applicable to kitchen sinks.

As a preventative measure you should pour a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down your drains to clear them on a monthly basis.

2. Ensure that all taps are properly turned off after use; this will save you litres and litres of water and thus hundred and hundreds of dollars.

If you notice that a tap continues to leak even when it is entirely closed off, call a plumber to have the problem resolved immediately. Not only will this save you money, it will also ensure the problem doesn’t worsen. A plumber can be called out for small jobs that you can’t be bothered or don’t know how to attempt, not just the big jobs like a burst water pipe or a drain blockage.

If you want to ensure you don’t have any hidden leaks, check your water metre before and after a weekend away (when no water is being consumed). If the number has changed, you may have a sneaky leak that you will need to have a professional plumber locate and fix for you.

If your toilet is making a strange gurgling noise, it is probably time to call a plumber. Tree roots have a habit of breaking or damaging pipes, especially those built before 1980 (they are made of clay). A gurgling noise or any excess water around your toilet is often the result of a pressured pipe. If this problem is not dealt with early, the pipe could break and cause significant damage.

Taking some care to check on the pipes and taps in your home could save you a lot of time and money in future, so it is definitely worth doing. Often, the small jobs can be fixed quickly and effortlessly by an experienced plumber. Don’t think you’re placing them at an inconvenience by calling them out for a small job. It is something that’s important to do and a reliable plumber will be happy to help you out.