Pet-Proofing Tips for Plumbing

Have you recently gotten a new pet like a cat or dog? There’s so much fun and joy to be had in a new animal around the home, but there are also a few important considerations to make in one big area: Plumbing.

At Expert Plumbing, we’re here to help. When we’re not providing plumbing services to your water fixtures and numerous other areas, we can also offer industry expertise on how to ensure new pets don’t create any issues with any part of the plumbing system. Here are some of the top pet-proofing tips we can offer.

Cover Exposed Pipes

Just like some small children, many pets are extremely curious and want to explore anything they possibly can. This will include areas like exposed pipes, which are often found below sinks or in crawl spaces.

Pets biting pipes, however, can have negative effects on both sides of the coin: They can create a leak or even a full-on burst pipe, and they also may damage pet teeth. If you notice this is an issue, look for savvy ways to cover exposed pipes or block pet access to them.

Bath Alternatives

Many can’t wait to give a new pet their first bath, but you have to be very careful here. Pet hair clumps together during a bath, often creating drain blockages that lead to full-on clogs. If you’re going to bathe your pet inside, make sure you invest in a drain plug that will catch all this hair in advance. We also recommend spraying your animal off outdoors before washing them inside, or even just doing the entire bathing process outside to keep gunk and other possible plumbing blockers out of the system.

Keep Water Available

Does one of your pets have a toilet water drinking issue? In the vast majority of cases, these problems develop in pets because they don’t have enough water readily available to them. Make sure there’s always a good source of water in their bowl that can be easily accessed, and chances are toilet drinking issues will subside.

Keep Chemicals Out of Reach

Like we noted above, pets are curious. If they can find their way to cleaning chemicals in the kitchen or bathroom, they’ll try to get into them. This could be very unsafe and even threaten their lives, so ensure all cleaning chemicals are safely stored in a place where pets cannot access them.

For more on how to pet-proof the home with plumbing in mind, or to learn about any of our other plumbing repair services, speak to the pros at Expert Plumbing today.