8 Easy Checks to Prevent Plumbing Emergencies at Home

When something goes wrong with your plumbing, it’s rarely a convenient moment. Maybe it’s a Saturday night when your toilet overflows, or right before guests arrive and your kitchen sink suddenly backs up. Most plumbing disasters don’t happen out of nowhere—they build up quietly over time.

What’s often overlooked is that a plumbing emergency - whether it’s a burst pipe or a flooded bathroom—usually builds up slowly over time. The good news? Many of these stressful, expensive disasters can be prevented with a few simple, regular checks.

Let’s walk through the eight plumbing checks that every homeowner should add to their routine.

1. Take a Peek Under Every Sink

This is one of the most basic steps, yet one of the most frequently ignored. Open the cabinets beneath your kitchen and bathroom sinks and check the pipes. Look for:

• Any dripping or pooled water
• Moldy or musty smells
• Warped wood, bubbling laminate, or discoloration

Use a paper towel to wipe around the joints. If it comes back damp, you've likely got a leak starting. Even a slow drip over time can lead to wood rot, mold growth, or damage to cabinetry. Most of these leaks start small, so catching them early means you're dealing with a $10 fix, not a $1,000 renovation.

2. Watch Your Water Pressure

High water pressure feels nice in the shower—but it’s rough on your plumbing. Pipes, joints, and even your water heater can take a beating from pressure that’s too strong.

To check it, get a water pressure gauge from your local hardware store (they’re inexpensive). Screw it onto an outdoor spigot and turn the water on. Ideal pressure is between 40–60 psi. If yours reads above 75–80 psi consistently, it’s time to get a plumber’s opinion. A pressure-reducing valve may be necessary.

Think of it like blood pressure in your body: too high, and something is bound to rupture.

3. Test for Toilet Leaks Using Food Coloring

Toilets can leak silently, with no visible signs—no water on the floor, no strange sounds. But those invisible leaks can waste an enormous amount of water. Here’s a quick test:

Add a few drops of food coloring into the tank and wait 10 to 15 minutes without flushing. If colored water appears in the bowl, the flapper isn’t sealing properly, and water is leaking from the tank into the bowl.

According to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, a toilet with an open fill valve can waste between 3–5 gallons per minute, which adds up to a staggering 4,000 gallons of water per day if left unattended.

Fixing a worn flapper valve often takes less than 10 minutes and costs under $10. Ignoring it? That’s how small drips turn into giant water bills—and unnecessary strain on your plumbing system.

4. Flush Your Water Heater Annually

Your water heater doesn’t just heat—it also collects sediment from your water supply. Over time, this builds up at the bottom of the tank, making it work harder to heat the same amount of water.

Flushing it out once a year removes this buildup and extends its life. It also helps with energy efficiency, so you’re not paying more than necessary.

If you hear popping or banging noises coming from the heater, that’s a classic sign it’s overdue for flushing. If you’re unsure how to do it yourself, call a plumber—it’s a quick job for a pro.

5. Look Behind Your Washing Machine and Dishwasher

The hoses connecting your appliances to the water supply are often out of sight and out of mind. But when they fail, they do so spectacularly.

Take five minutes every few months to check for:

• Cracks in the hose
• Bulging areas or blisters
• Rust around the fittings
• Moisture on the floor nearby

Rubber hoses wear out over time—especially if your laundry area gets hot or humid. If you want a set-it-and-forget-it solution, upgrade to stainless steel braided hoses. They’re sturdier and far less likely to burst.

6. Know Where to Shut Off the Water

If a pipe bursts, a toilet overflows, or your water heater fails, you need to turn off the water supply fast.

Find your home’s main shut-off valve. It's usually near where the water main enters your house—often in the basement, garage, or outside by the foundation. Make sure it turns easily.

Label it. Practice turning it off. Show every adult in the house how to do it. In an emergency, those few minutes of fumbling can mean the difference between a soaked rug and an entirely gutted room.

7. Don’t Just Wait for a Clog—Maintain Your Drains

Clogs don’t just show up overnight. They build gradually as grease, hair, and other debris collect inside your pipes. Instead of waiting until your shower turns into a foot bath, take small steps to prevent it.

Once a month, pour a kettle of hot water mixed with baking soda and vinegar down your drains. Use drain catchers in sinks and tubs to trap hair and food bits. Avoid flushing anything labeled “flushable”—those wipes often don’t break down and can clog sewer lines.

Most plumbers agree that chemical drain cleaners should be a last resort—they’re harsh and can erode your pipes over time.

8. Prepare Outdoor Plumbing for Cold Weather

If your area sees freezing temps, your outdoor plumbing needs some love in the fall. Water left in exterior faucets or connected hoses can freeze, expand, and crack the pipes.

Before winter:

• Disconnect and drain garden hoses
• Turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets (if possible)
• Let faucets drip dry
• Install insulated covers over spigots

This 10-minute task can prevent the kind of pipe damage that requires tearing into walls or replacing entire sections of your plumbing.

Small Habits, Big Protection

When it comes to homeownership, there’s a fine line between a fixable inconvenience and a full-blown emergency. A lot of plumbing disasters start with a drip or a hairline crack—something easily missed in the bustle of daily life.

But if you build these eight checks into your routine, you dramatically reduce your chances of waking up to a flooded bathroom or losing hot water when you need it most.

And here's the truth: most people don’t think about their plumbing until something breaks. Be the exception. A proactive approach not only protects your home—it protects your budget, your time, and your peace of mind.

If you're ever unsure about something—if a pipe feels warm, if you hear a gurgling noise behind the walls, or if your water bill jumps unexpectedly—it’s worth asking a professional. Catching a small issue early always costs less than fixing a big one later.