pet-proofing home’s plumbing

Themes for Pet-Proofing Your Home’s Plumbing, Part 2

In part one of this two-part blog, we went over some of the basic themes you should consider when looking to protect your home’s plumbing if you have pets. There are several impacts home pets may have on plumbing areas, but with the right basic steps, you can prevent them from having any significant negative effect.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we’re here to help with all pet-proofing needs and questions regarding your home’s plumbing. This is a wide area that contains several minor factors that are important – here are a few more vital considerations when it comes to pet-proofing your plumbing.

Yard Digging

For pets that dig in the yard, mainly dogs, you’ll want to keep a careful eye on things. Apart from perhaps being a behavior you want to discourage for overall health and mess reasons, this digging can actually have a major impact on your water lines.

In some cases, particularly with older homes, sewer or water lines can be found as high as just 18 inches underground – easily shallow enough for many dogs to dig to. Most canines that dig do so extremely enthusiastically, and they can easily create a leak or even major damage in one of these lines if they’re allowed to dig unchecked. This often gives way to an extremely expensive area of plumbing repair, so keep a careful eye out.

Cleaning Chemicals

Whether in the bathroom or any other area of your home, all chemicals used for any kind of cleaning or other purposes should be kept away from where pets can access them. Dogs and cats are naturally curious and will absolutely try to get into these products, which can make them extremely sick or can even be fatal in some situations. Make sure they’re behind a locked cabinet door or fully out of reach from your pets.

Exposed Pipes and Chewing

We mentioned the risk of pipe damage in your yard above – these risks are also present for exposed pipes indoors, though in different ways. Dogs or cats will chew on just about anything, including your pipes, which can damage not only the pipes themselves but also your pet’s teeth or gums. If you have any such pipes in areas of the home that pets can access, look for ways to protect them or close off access.

Outdoor Rinsing

If at all possible, we recommend cleaning off your dog or another dirty animal outside before they come in. This is to protect your drains, for one, which we talked about in part one of this blog, but also simply to keep the bathroom and tub clean – dogs in particular can track in crazy buildups of mud and other dirt, to the point where they can permanently stain tubs or leave grime buildups.

For more on pet-proofing your home’s plumbing, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.