What You Need To Teach Your Kids About Your Home's Plumbing

Plumbing is an important part of our home living system that every kid must know. It’s very common for homeowners to experience a plumbing mishap with their little kids while they are at home. And this is because they are not taught or learned about plumbing and how important it is to use everything correctly. Thanks to the advent of innovative technology, most kids find it attractive and easy to use, while some often make mistakes of putting anything down the drain that can cause serious plumbing problems. 

And it is the sole responsibility of every parent to teach their kids about home plumbing, basic life skills, and lessons, so they can take care of the home even when you are not there. Even though teaching children about plumbing might seem obvious at first, when children flush the toilet, it quickly becomes evident that every child should take plumbing lessons. 

You can teach your kids several simple lessons about the plumbing systems in your home, depending on their age and ability to learn. Keep in mind, these are just a few general recommendations & you know your kid best, so teach them accordingly. Well! Here is a list of the most common things about home plumbing that your child should know in 2023. 

So, let’s get started!

What Can And Can’t Go In The Toilet

Kids are more likely to watch it, no matter what’s being flushed down the toilet, be it keys, toys, unwanted garbage, or something else that can cause the issues. So, the very first thing you should teach your kids is to tell them not to flush the toilet paper and secondly, anything else that can clog the toilet and cause serious plumbing problems. 

In addition, the parent can teach their children that the toilet often includes lots of germs and bacteria, so putting anything onto the toilet can also make them germy. Which in turn, may cause health problems when touched or found near your kids. Nevertheless, you can teach your kids to wash their hands regularly to stay protected and healthy and avoid any germs. 

Don’t Leave The Water Running

It’s more likely that your kids are unaware of water bills, so they don’t have any idea why it is bad and how much it will cost to leave the water running, especially when nobody is using it. It is important to teach your children to shut the faucet valve off while they are brushing their teeth or when they are not using it for any meaningful things. Teaching so will help you and your child save more water, reduce high water bills, and support the planet. 

How To Use A Plunger

Teaching your child about the use of a plunger is not as simple as it seems, so you can wait for some period till they get 10-12 years old. Teaching your child how the plunger works and how to use it properly can help avoid massive toilet overflow. In addition, you can tell them not to flush down the toilet if it is clogged to avoid further serious issues. 

What Can Go in the Garbage Disposal

When your kids are between the ages of 6-10 years, they are more likely to help wash the dishes and do certain things on their own, so it’s important to know what can go and what can’t go down in the garbage disposal. As a parent, you should teach them not to touch the garbage disposal and neither try to find it out if something falls in. And they should be asked to take help from adults in such cases.

However, it’s okay for small food remnants to go down the garbage disposal. But keep in mind, slippery substances like grease, oils, and fats should never go down in garbage disposal because they are the main cause of clogged pipes. In addition, your kids should be taught to keep the following food away from the garbage disposals while using the sink:

• Hard materials like seeds, bones, or stems

• Stringy veggies, fibrous

• Coffee grounds

• Eggshells

• Pasta

• Rice

How To Shut Off The Main Water Valve If There’s a Leakage

Sometimes it happens that your kids stay alone in the house when you go out for some important work or meetings. As we don’t know what may bring tomorrow, uncertainty can happen at any time. If there’s a water leakage when your kids are alone, they should know where the main water valve is located and how to turn it off to avoid massive water leakage and other significant causes. Remember even a small leakage or burst pipe can cause thousands of dollars in damage, so ensure that you and your family are well aware of it. 

Hot And Cold Water

Faucet knowledge is easier to take for granted than you might think. In contrast, a small child is unlikely to realize that hot water from the faucet can be dangerous in case of scalding. To reduce the risk of getting burned when bathing or washing their hands, warn your children against tampering with hot water faucets. 

Another way to protect your family from scalds is to keep the thermostat on your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the recommended temperature that can help you avoid such heating issues in the future. In addition, A CPSC recommendation makes it important to prevent scalds from tap water.

Use Your Best Judgment

When it comes to teaching these plumbing lessons to your children, use your best judgment. Each child learns and progresses differently based on their age and learning skills. You can teach them more mature lessons as soon as they reach their pre-teen and teen years, like paying utility bills and dealing with plumbing problems. 

Doing so, they'll be glad that someone prepared them for these situations one day when they have to face them on their own. Moreover, you can avoid major plumbing problems while you’re not there.

Taking Away

Teaching your kids about the above basic plumbing things can help you and your family stay aware of the common plumbing issues that may often happen at your home. If you notice any emergency plumbing issues at your home, contact a licensed plumber at 2 Sons Plumbing to get your plumbing system well-maintained and repaired in no time. 

2 Sons Plumbing is a leading plumbing company providing the best-in-quality plumbing repair or maintenance services for homes in the Greater Seattle area. Need a trusted Seattle plumber that knows the ins & outs of your plumbing systems, diagnoses the issues & fixes them straight away, give us a call today at (206) 487-1757 to schedule an appointment.