As your little one begins to explore every nook and cranny of your home, make sure you take the time to childproof your plumbing system to avoid any mishaps. Here are our top tips for child-proofing the plumbing in your home.
Lock Up Your Toilet
When you have small children, a toilet lock can be an essential tool to keep your plumbing system and kids safer.
To toddlers, a toilet can seem like an exciting toy. They’re often very interested in the swirling water and find that when they put something in the bowl, it will disappear soon after. This can certainly be amusing, but it can also lead to significant issues with your plumbing system.
More frighteningly, however, is toilets can be a drowning hazard if a child were to fall in head-first. It can take less than two inches of water to cause a disaster.
So keep your plumbing and kids safer with a toilet lid lock. You can find them anywhere from Amazon to Target or Walmart. They typically require no drilling and are simple to install and operate.
Cover Those Drains
Of course, toilets aren’t the only pathway to plumbing issues. Drains are another place small kiddos can drop toys, food, jewelry, and other items right into. This is especially true with floor drains, like those found in bathtubs and showers.
Avoid a clog or broken pipes by installing drain covers over your drains. This will prevent everything but water from flowing down sinks, bathtubs, and showers.
Ensure Your Water Heater Temp is Set Right
Water heaters are a crucial part of the residential plumbing you need to count on. It helps your whole family stay comfortable during bath time throughout the year. And during bath time with your child, you want to ensure they are kept safer.
This is where ensuring your water heater temperature comes into play. A good, hot shower is relaxing to us adults, but that hot water can be too hot for babies and children to handle and create a risk of scalding. To avoid this, turn down the thermostat of your water heater. A little under 120 degrees Fahrenheit is the most ideal. Additionally, check the bath water with your hand before putting your little one in the tub.
Keep Everything Clean (and Locked Up)
A clean home not only creates a welcoming place for you and your family, but it will also keep your newest family member safer. This means cleaning up any spills that happen right away so they don’t create slipping hazards and getting leaks in your pipes repaired right away.
Don’t forget to lock up cleaning products, chemical cleaners, detergents, plastic bags, and saran wrap as well. A common place to keep cleaners is under the kitchen sink, but as babies become toddlers, it’s smart to move them a little higher or invest in child locks so there’s no chance they get into them.
Install a Water Softener
We’ve talked about it before – hard water and its effects. It’s okay to drink and use, but it does have negative effects like drying out skin and hair, leaving clothes less clean and soft, and causing your plumbing system to work harder (among other things).
When you have a new baby, consider upgrading the water in your home with a water softener. This will help them avoid dry skin after a bath and allow them to enjoy more bubbly bubble baths, softer towels and clothes, and, as they grow, fresh, clean water to drink. You’ll also be able to enjoy plenty of advantages as well!
Teach Plumbing Etiquette
All of these tips will help child-proof plumbing systems, but the best thing to help ensure your kids don’t cause a plumbing issue is to teach them about the system and how to use it properly.
You’ll want to teach them:
- Why food, toys, and other items don’t belong down the drain or toilet
- How to properly use the toilet and sink
- How and why we shouldn’t overfill bathtubs and sinks
Telling them is helpful, but modeling good habits will help these ideas really stick so they learn to respect their home and the plumbing in it. It will take a little time, but keep teaching and modeling the rules, and soon enough, they’ll get the hang of things!
If you’ve got an issue with your plumbing, whether caused by your kiddo, yourself, or a mystery, the City Plumbing Services team is here to lend a hand!
Got an Issue with Your Plumbing System? City Plumbing Services is Here to Help
If you’ve got an issue with your plumbing, whether caused by your kiddo, yourself, or a mystery, the City Plumbing Services team is here to lend a hand. We provide residential plumbing services and drain cleanings and will answer all your questions. We’re located in Cave Creek but are ready to help those in Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Chandler, Surprise, and most of the East Valley of Arizona.
