To ensure the smooth functioning of your plumbing system, you need to understand how to flush it when the need arises. So, why should you want to drain your plumbing system?
There are some familiar reasons that will force you to flush and hence drain your plumbing system. First, this could be about fixing any water hammer problem. Second, you might be compelled to flush it as a result of shutting down a seasonal property in the course of the winter.
Also, this might be the case when you want to work on major repairs within your plumbing system. In whatever the case, you need to possess the right plumbing knowledge to manage this work.
Reasons for Flushing your Plumbing System
- Seasonal Shutdown – as one prepares for the winter, flushing the plumbing system becomes a priority. During the winter, it is common that water left within the system freezes and can easily result in burst pipes, which can be costly to the owner. To be on the safe side, the system needs to be flushed to help avoid this possible calamity.
- Water hammer – this is commonly known as hydraulic shock, and largely occurs due to the presence of air in the plumbing system. What happens is that the fixture pipes bang loudly once a person turns on/off faucets. Excessive air within the system makes the problem to persist further. To resolve the issue, flushing the plumbing system becomes necessary.
- When making major plumbing repairs – this happens especially when the basement bathroom needs some repair or is being installed for the first time. So that water flow does not interfere with the process, all the pipes that are installed above the new system ought to be completely flushed.
How to Flush the Plumbing System
- At the water meter, shut off the major water valve.
- You need to open all the sinks faucets in your kitchen and bathroom; in the meantime, water should be flowing out of the piping system through the faucets.
- In your basement, open the laundry tab and allow the water to flow out; in the other rooms whether in the same floor or upstairs, open the laundry taps and allow all the water to flow out.
- In all your flushing toilets, go on flushing the water and leave the tanks empty.
- Assuming that you are flushing the plumbing system in preparation for a long vacation outside your typical place of residency and during the winter, you need to leave all your faucets in an open position.
So, you did all this in preparation for a long vacation that is already started. You’ve flushed the system and are now ready to leave the home unattended for a long time. Now you are back and want to activate the plumbing system. What should you do? Here is what to do:
- Locate the basement faucet and ensure that all the faucets in the other rooms are shut; this allows your pipes to recharge with air.
- Open the main valve from the main meter, and let the water flow.
- You can now move to the other rooms and toilets and open all the faucets; allow the water to flow for some moment until it is clear. In the first instance, you are likely to see discoloured water that changes after some moment.
- Get into all of your bathrooms and open all the shower faucets; allow the water to run for some moment.
- You need to flush all your toilets and allow all the water tanks to refill.
- Your toilets are now okay and you will need to shut off all the open faucets; they should be delivering clear water by now.
Conclusion
In summary, we have discussed how you can flush your plumbing system. As you have seen, there are plenty of reasons why you need to flush your plumbing system. If you need to do this, the process is quite simple and will lead you to the right results. This is one of the best practices in maintaining a great plumbing system in your homes.