If you’re reading this as a new parent, congratulations on your new baby! There are a lot of things on your mind right now, and you’ve probably done a lot of research on baby proofing your home. But, many people don’t consider preparing their home plumbing system for a new arrival. Your plumbing can have a dramatic effect on the comfort of your new baby, and you can make some preparations by following these three simple tips.
1. A Couple of Upgrades to Improve Efficiency
There are two plumbing upgrades available that can make your life as a new parent far easier, and your baby will love them too; they are:
A Diaper Sprayer: This is an eco-friendly plumbing fixture that you can install on the toilet to clean dirty diapers. This is especially useful if you want to use cloth diapers that are friendlier to the environment. Think of a diaper sprayer as a kind of mini shower head that you can use for rapid diaper cleaning. Once the diaper is clean, simply flush the waste and hang the diaper out to dry.
A Water Softener: Hard water contains elevated levels of mineral content, including calcium, magnesium, and iron. These minerals inhibit the creation of soap suds making bathing, laundry, dishwashing, and other water related tasks a real chore. But, they also dry out the skin because the minerals are left on the surface after the water has evaporated. This can be very unpleasant for babies and younger children as it can cause dry and irritated skin. This can be prevented if you contact your local plumber and ask them to install a whole house water softener.
2. Baby Proof Plumbing
Most new parents will have already installed cupboard locks and outlet covers. But, there are a few baby proofing products available for your home plumbing system. There are water temperature measurement tools to ensure that the water for the baby bath isn’t too hot. Another great innovation is a soft silicone faucet cover designed to protect little heads from an accidental bump. Finally, you can get a toilet cover lock that will be very useful when your little one starts to explore their new world. This will prevent them from getting into the toilet and throwing things in the drain and flushing, which could lead to an expensive repair bill.
3. Preventative Measures
Finally, it’s worth adopting some preventative measures to protect your plumbing system. The most common problem that a new parent has is a frequency in clogged toilet drains. This is usually caused by flushing items, such as kitchen paper, baby wipes, “flushable” cleaning wipes, and even used diapers. None of these items are flushable; the only materials that a toilet is designed to handle are standard toilet paper and human waste. Anything else can cause a clog that may be hard to shift without a professional local plumber.
If you need help baby proofing your plumbing or you have a clog that’s hard to remove, contact your local certified plumber today.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solution.
