Your bathroom should always be one of the most hygienic parts of your home because if not much effort is done to keep it that way, it can pose serious health and financial problems to you and your family. A bathroom becomes unsanitary not just because of failure to keep it clean, but also because of plumbing problems like leaks, which can also cost you hundreds of dollars in excess water bill payments every year.
To make your bathroom as clean as it can be and run more efficiently, here are some bathroom plumbing maintenance tips that could help you in that regard.
Regular maintenance tasks
- Remove unsightly mineral deposits on your showerhead by placing a cup of vinegar in a plastic bag and placing it over your shower head. This will allow you to remove the deposits that have accumulated.
- Never throw anything in the toilet bowl. This includes wet wipes, cigarette butts, and other solid objects.
- Tubs and sinks should be fitted with strainers to block soap chips and strands of hair from entering the drain.
- Repair leaky taps and pipes immediately.
- At least once a week, run hot water down the drain to remove the clogs instead of using a chemical drain cleaner.
How do you test a toilet for leaks?
- Check if the water level in the tank is not overflowing (through the overflow pipe). The overflow pipe is the one with a small piece of tubing connected to it.
- If water is running into the overflow pipe, adjust the fill valve until the water stops an inch below the top of the overflow tube. Check if your toilet has a water level mark stamped on the side of the tank.
- Test the flush valve mechanism by adding a few drops of food colouring into the tank. Check the bowl after 15 minutes or longer. If the water in the toilet bowl changes colour, then the ball or flapper may need to be replaced.
- If there is coloured water found at the base of your toilet, then you could be dealing with a cracked toilet as well. This is the time to call in a professional plumber.
How do you clean an aerator?
Low water pressure from your tap are caused by lime build-up or sediments blocking the small openings inside an aerator. Here’s how you clean it:
- Unscrew the aerator from the faucet by hand or by pliers.
- Take the aerator and spray head apart.
- Use a small brush dipped in vinegar to remove the sediments.
- Reassemble the aerator and screw it back on the faucet.
