Plumbing Safety Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

As a homeowner, you’re responsible for maintaining everything in your home — including the plumbing system and its fixtures. Before you can provide your plumbing with any maintenance or basic repairs, you need to be well-versed in the proper safety practices. Make sure you…

Always

• Shield Your Eyes – Anytime you’re working with your plumbing, make sure you have on the proper safety glasses. Whether you’re drilling, hammering, sawing, filing down a pipe, or even snaking a drain, you want to make sure there is no chance of something flying up into your eyes.
• Cover Your Hands – Like your eyes, your hands should also be protected at all times. Between chemicals from drain cleaners and materials you might find within pipes, it’s better to have your hands protected than bare. During drain cleaning or snaking, you might want to wear a pair of latex gloves underneath your regular work gloves to protect yourself from any germs and bacteria.
• Work With a Partner – Plumbing repairs should ideally be done alongside a helper in case you need help (since you’re not a professional plumber). This helper can run to turn off the water if a leak occurs, turn off a machine in an instant, or help you snake a drain. An extra set of eyes and hands can only make the situation safer and more productive.

Never

• Abuse Tools – Tools are made with specific jobs in mind and are usually listed on the packaging. Misusing a tool for something it’s not meant to do could end up with you becoming hurt or the tool itself breaking. Always inspect tools before handling and make sure they’re only used for their intended purposes.
• Ignore Funny Smells – When you’re working on your plumbing system, keep your nose open and alert (we’re serious). Funky smells coming from drains could mean there’s a blockage that needs to be cleared. More importantly, if you smell gas or fear there’s a leak, leave the house immediately and call you local gas company.
• Wing It – When repairing your plumbing or installing a fixture, one wrong move and you could end up standing in a foot of water with a whole new set of problems. If there’s something you’re unsure of, don’t take a chance. Instead, pick up the phone and call your local plumber to take care of it for you. Calling a plumber now beats calling one later to repair a mistake that didn’t need to be made!

For the homeowners looking to be weekend warriors by taking on their own plumbing maintenance and repairs, keep these safety tips in mind. When your home needs plumbing repair, contact the professionals at Len The Plumber. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, find out which service area you live closest to.