Most homeowners who own pets understand that sometimes their furry friends and plumbing don’t mix. Keeping your home’s plumbing system and pets in check can be challenging, particularly if you don’t know how your four-legged friends can negatively affect your plumbing. Pet-related plumbing issues are increasingly common for almost one-third of all San Antonio homes. At Anchor Plumbing Services, we understand that you love your pets, so we’ve prepared this guide to help you pet-proof your plumbing system to avoid serious and costly issues.
1. Use a Drain Strainer to Prevent Clogs
It’s crucial to give your furry friend a warm and nice bath to keep him clean. But if you bathe your pet in the bathtub or shower, you could have a massive clog in your drain. Even if your cat or dog doesn’t seem to be shedding at the time, or even at all, the fact is that all animals release some fur. When washing your pet, ensure a drain stopper or strainer is in place. This will prevent animal fur from going down the drain, thereby preventing clogs.
2. Cover Exposed Pipes
If you have exposed pipes and drains in your home, ensure you cover or wrap them to prevent pets from getting to them. When developing teeth, kittens and puppies can use your pipes as their plaything and chew on them. If your pet chews down on your pipe, you may have to spend a lot of money on costly plumbing repairs. Furthermore, your pet could get hurt if they get a paw caught in the pipe or drain. You’ll be adding a vet bill to your expenses. To avoid potential issues, cover any exposed pipes and ensure your pets have enough toys to chew on or keep them occupied.
3. Flush With Caution
Flushing kitty litter down the toilet seems like a simple and convenient way to clean up after your cat, but it’s never a good idea. Although cat litter is flushable, the chances of getting it clogged in your sewer lines are high, mainly if you use a septic tank. Cat litter absorbs moisture and increases to 10+ times its original volume. Thus, when you flush it down your toilet, it can expand and cause a massive obstruction in your plumbing. In addition, waste contained in the litter can have contaminants, such as Toxoplasma Gondii, which municipal water treatment systems cannot remove. Therefore, it’s best to throw the waste in a trash can and remember to take the trash out often to protect your family and your pet’s health.
4. Install Pressure-Balancing Valves
If somebody flushes the toilet while you’re showering, you or your pet could get scalded suddenly. If this is occurring in your home, it’s probably because your plumbing system doesn’t have pressure regulating valves. Without these valves, hot water could suddenly jet out of your faucets and showerheads, scalding anyone who could be using the water. In addition, constant water flow at high pressure can dramatically erode your pipes, faucets, dishwasher, washing machine, and other plumbing fixtures, reducing their lifespan and causing costly structural damage. Thankfully, you can avoid these plumbing problems and keep your pets safe by installing pressure-balancing valves.
5. Wash Dirty Pets Outside
If you have a cat or dog who loves playing in the mud, you’ll have a lot of dirt to clean up. If you wash your furry friend in the bathtub or shower, all that dirt and shedding fur will come off and get into your drains. This debris can cause a severe obstruction that can damage your plumbing. Rather than having to spend a lot of money on plumbing repairs every time you wash your pet, always rinse them off outside when the weather allows.
6. Ensure Your Pets Have Enough Water
When your furry friend gets thirsty and has run out of water, rest assured they will go to a great extent to find some. Some animals are clever enough to have known how to turn on the faucets. This could be potentially dangerous, especially if you are away from home. If there’s something covering the drain and your furry friend turns on the faucet, this could cause flooding or, at the very least, increase your water bill. The simplest and safest thing to do is leave a lot of fresh water out for your furry friend so that he doesn’t need to look for it elsewhere. For increased safety, leave bathroom doors closed whenever you aren’t home. Also, ensure you keep your pet’s water bowl clean for their own health and clean it at least once every day for sanitary conditions.
7. Cover Toilets
Animals don’t know what water is fit for consumption. Whenever they see any open water, they get inclined to drink it. And if you leave your toilet uncovered, the toilet bowl will be the first place they’ll go. Toilet water is unsanitary and harmful to your pet’s health due to an array of cleaners and chemicals used to clean the toilet. Make it a family policy to keep your toilet seat always covered. Your pet drinking water from the toilet bowl may not damage your plumbing, but it’s not suitable for your furry friend.
8. Store Plumbing Chemicals Responsibly
Although it’s not advisable to use harsh chemicals in your plumbing system because these store-bought cleaners can cause damage to your pipes, you might have them in your home. Exposure to these chemicals can present serious health risks. Always keep drain cleaners and other plumbing chemicals in sealed containers and place them out of your pet’s reach, just as you’d for your children.
9. Keep an Eye on Pets Who Like Digging
If your pet spends a lot of time digging holes in your backyard, you must ensure they don’t dig too deep. Your sewer lines are buried far enough beneath the surface to protect them from environmental factors but also close enough for quick access by technicians. If your dog digs enough to access those lines, you could end up with a costly clean-up, and your furry friend could stand to get injured, both things you don’t want to deal with.
Rely on the Experts
If your pet has caused any plumbing problems at your San Antonio home, Anchor Plumbing Services can help. Our seasoned and skilled plumbers can locate the problem and address it within the shortest time possible. We always show up on time with all the tools needed to address the issue. As a full-service plumbing company in San Antonio, we can handle any plumbing repair, maintenance, or installation job. We vow to leave your plumbing system, equipment, and fixtures running efficiently and reliably. In addition, we specialize in leak detection, drain cleaning, and plumbing fixtures repair and replacements. We also work on virtually any type of water softener system, garbage disposal, pressure valves, and more.
If you need more details about our professional and affordable plumbing services or want to set up an appointment, don’t hesitate to contact Anchor Plumbing Services.
