5. To prevent sewer gases from backing up into your home through your basement floor drain, periodically pour a bucket of water down the drain to keep the trap seal full.
6. To remove unsightly mineral deposits on your shower head, put one cup of vinegar in a plastic bag and place it over the shower head. Hold it in place with a twist tie and let stand overnight. In the morning, remove the bag and the mineral deposits should come off by wiping with a damp cloth.
7. Repair leaky faucets quickly to avoid further damage to the fixtures and faucets.
8. Put 12 drops of green food coloring into your toilet tank to test for silent leaks. If the dye appears in the bowl, you may need to change the ball or flapper valve. The toilet is leakfree if no dye appears within 15 minutes.
9. Do not use your toilet as a wastebasket. Do not flush items that can be placed in a trash container.
10. Septic tanks should be inspected and pumped every three to five years to help prevent costly replacement of the filter field. |