Going from living in an apartment to owning your own home is a huge transition. As you go from relying on landlords to keep your location in good repair to relying on yourself, it becomes increasingly important to find ways to save money. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to save yourself money in the long run. Follow these 3 easy plumbing tips:

Get a Washing Machine Drain Pan

One of the best plumbing tips is to get a drain pan for your washing machine. If you have a washing machine in your home, we recommend you invest in a drain pan right away. Washing machines commonly break down in homes, and when they do, water can go everywhere. A cheap drain pan underneath your washing machine will prevent you from dealing with water damage on top of washing machine repairs if and when that day comes.

Be Careful What You Flush

Have you ever gone into a public restroom and seen a sign asking you not to flush paper towels or baby wipes (even if they’re labeled as “flush-able”)? Toilets are only created to handle so much waste at a time. You may be able to successfully flush a paper towel today, but down the road, flushing items that aren’t meant for the toilet will cause your plumbing to back up. Save yourself some money and heartache by being careful with what you flush. And if you have small children, consider investing in a toilet lock to keep their toys and other household objects out of your pipes.

DON’T Do It Yourself

With the popularity of websites like YouTube, more and more people believe that they can handle their own plumbing repairs rather than calling an expert. Unfortunately, more often than not, these DIY-repairs are done incorrectly. This can lead to plumbing issues down the road that are exponentially more expensive to repair than the initial plumbing problem. So, if you do find yourself facing a leaky pipe or browning water, do yourself a favor and call a professional plumber right off the bat- this is one of the most important plumbing tips you can follow.

There’s a lot to consider when you become a first-time homeowner. The unfortunate part of homeownership is that you don’t know what you don’t know–and when you make a mistake, the consequences can be expensive. We hope that these three quick and easy tips will prevent you from making some of the most expensive plumbing mistakes we see on a daily basis. If you do have plumbing questions, want to know more plumbing tips, or need a plumber in the area, we encourage you to contact our office today.