Stopped up sinks are a pain to deal with, but there are worse things.
Consider a broken pipe, overflowing toilet or even a washing machine that won't drain.
These are all issues that can be avoided if you take the time to do a little routine maintenance around the house.
The best part is for many of these preventative measures you don't even have to call in a professional which will save you lots of money.
By heading off the plumbing problems before they happen, you can save yourself a lot of worry, frustration and money.
Plumbing problems don't have to cost you an arm and a leg.
One of the most common problems is a clogged sink.
First order to keep your pipes clear, watch what you put down the sink.
Don't think that you can flush anything out with enough water.
If you hair in the trap pick it up and throw it in the trash.
Don't put food down the sink unless you are using a garbage disposal, and make sure the disposal is on with water running while you are dumping food.
Always, always, always avoid dumping grease down the sink.
Use a grease trap to pour hot grease into and allow the grease to cool before disposing of in the garbage.
Another common plumbing issue is broken pipes.
While some pipes will wear out over time and may rupture from age at the joints this is not the issue that can be resolved.
Often broken pipes happen during the winter.
Freezing temperature causes water to solidify in the pipes.
This causes the pipes to break.
There are some simple ways to avoid this, first is keep the cabinet doors open a little ways.
This will allow the warm air from the house access to the pipes.
Next keep water flowing through the pipes especially during the night.
It doesn't have to be a roaring flood of water, even just a small stream or steady drip will help keeping water from freezing.
Moving water is harder to freeze than standing water.
For outside pipes, wrap them in insulation; check your local hardware store.
For faucets use covers which are also available at your local hardware store.
Plumbing problems such as over flowing toilets and washers are often caused by something caught in the drain line.
Parents of small children might want to invest in a toilet lock to keep foreign objects from being tossed in.
As for washing machines, routinely verify the drain hose is free from foreign objects.
A time will come when you will need to call in a plumbing professional.
When that happens take the time to look for someone who is reputable.
While the person you might hire could be the first name you saw, don't just grab one out of the phone list.
It's best to have the number of a reliable, reputable plumber on hand.
This means doing your research on a reliable service when you don't need one so that you won't be scrambling when you do.