When you are a homeowner, taking care of your home and keeping all of the parts of your home up and running is one of your top priorities. However, if you are not a construction contractor or otherwise an expert at home repairs, you might sometimes not be sure of what to do to maintain certain aspects of your home. This can include your home's plumbing systems, which is understandable. Plumping systems are complicated and can be quite confusing. However, there are some basic plumbing maintenance tips that can help you to better manage and maintain your home's plumbing system. Get to know some of these tips and you can start better maintaining your home plumbing right away. 

Check Under Your Sinks Regularly

One of the steps that you can take to improve your home plumbing maintenance routine is to check under your sinks on a regular basis. Look for any signs of moisture or water damage. Some condensation on water pipes is normal.

However, significant amounts of dripping, pooling of water underneath the pipes, or water damage to the cabinet around your sink (wood warping and sagging) are signs that you have a leaky pipe. Checking for these issues regularly can help you to find leaks quickly and get them resolved before your home suffers any major issues as a result. 

Avoid Commercial Drain Cleaners

If one of your plumbing fixtures develops a clog, it can be very tempting to grab a bottle of commercial drain cleaner from your local store and pour it on down. However, this can be a major mistake when it comes to maintaining your plumbing system. 

Commercial drain cleaners are highly caustic which means they are corrosive. Corrosive chemicals can damage and eat through the physical structure of your pipes, leading them to wear out faster than they would normally. This can lead to costly plumbing replacements as well as can potentially cause severe leaking and other issues before you discover the pipes need to be replaced. 

Have a Plumber Come Inspect Your System Annually

On a yearly basis, you should have a professional plumber come out and do an inspection of your system as well. A part of the annual system inspection should be the draining and cleaning of your hot water heater. This will help to remove any buildup in the heater, helping it and your plumbing system as a whole to work more efficiently. 

Plumbers will also be able to inspect any exposed pipes in your home and may even do a drain cleaning on your main sewer drain to ensure there are no serious blockages or related issues. All of these steps together will help to give you a smooth-running plumbing system all year long. 

With these plumbing maintenance tips in mind, you can begin maintaining and managing your plumbing system more effectively right away.