Protecting Bathroom Appliances & Plumbing
The bathroom may be occupying a small space in your house; however, it accommodates a lot of fittings and fixtures. A typical bathroom consists of a shower system (including a tub and toilet seat), faucets, as well as some pipework and fittings. These bathroom components or fixtures are an essential part of its setup. Therefore, ensuring that they look squeaky clean at all times and in perfect working condition is imperative.
Plumbing Problems In Your Bathroom
Consider a bathroom faucet, for example; apart from some level of discomfort that you may feel because of the dripping sound from a leaky faucet. Certain bathroom stains and coloration also causes some discomforting feeling. Remember that these bathroom wares ages over time. Since they are always in contact with water, there is a tendency for them to develop rust. The rust can on the bathroom fixture and in the internal walls of the plumbing. There is also the chance for bacteria and limescale build-up, especially when it lacks proper maintenance care.
So, before it gets to the point where the quality of water is affected or when something minor results in major replacements, there are ways to protect your bathroom fixtures and plumbing?
Common Bathroom Problems & Solutions
Bathroom and toilet rust stains are quite common, especially in areas where hard water is present. This hard water contains certain impurities like calcium and magnesium, which, when accumulated, combine with sulfates, bicarbonates, and chlorides to form insoluble mineral salts. Causing corrosion, in the form of rust, which eventually becomes visible on tubs, sinks, faucets, and other bathroom surfaces.
Faucet
Rust
Most metal bathroom faucets, especially those made of brass and copper, are prone to corrosion when exposed to water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. This corrosion produces bathroom rust stains (a reddish-brown scale) that are often visible on both the inside and outside surface of the bathroom faucet. Such that removing faucet rust stains in the bathroom becomes inevitable.
Scale Build Up
Hard water also has some negative impact on water pipes and bathroom installations. Debris and limescale pile up may block the water pipe, as well as leave ugly looking stains on bathroom faucets. These deposits are not just unpleasant. They can also clog and damage the seal the bathroom fixture, which could lead to clogged bathroom pipes and leaks that can cause even more damage.
Frequent Repairs
Apart from corrosion and other causes of leaky bathroom faucets, including mineral deposits on certain installation parts, as well as defective washers or gaskets can make the bathroom fixtures to get damaged too often. Since the bathroom faucet can be exposed to running water and moisture always, the situation should not go unattended. Once noticed, try to prevent permanent damage or frequent repairs of a leaky faucet.
Toilet
Bacteria
Unclean bathroom diseases are one of the early signs that you have a bathroom that is infested by bacteria. Not just the visible spots of your bathroom space like the floor and toilet seat, but also the tap handles, plughole, sink, and bathtub. According to research, the sink has the highest amount of Colony-Forming Units (about 50,000 CFUs). E.coli, Streptococcus, and Salmonella are the most common types of bathroom bacteria. And they are mostly caused by neglecting proper bathroom hygiene. So just as devotion to personal health is paramount, keeping the bathroom clean and spotless is something that must be done. The truth is, even a clean surface can still harbor germs, which is why using a good disinfectant is useful.
Rust Stains
While constant bathroom cleaning might sound a bit stressful, it is a practical preventive approach to protecting your bathroom from soap stains and rust stains. Wipe the surface of the bathroom ware with a clean towel regularly, or after each time you use the bathroom. By this, you protect the bathroom facility from rust Stains, as well as prolong contact with the hard water, which would have reacted with the surface.
Tub
Rusty Water Stains
By now, you must have noticed that rust and metals go hand-in-hand. Ufuretunatley, this is hard to prevent due to the presence of iron in your water. Iron makes its way in the water from many sources. One sure is the mile-long piping from your water supplier that rusted from the inside. The rust then makes its way to your bathtub and eventually leaving behind the rusty stain you see in your tub or the face sink in your bathroom. The best solution to this is an iron filter.
Scale Build Up
Hard water contains mineral contents that can react with your faucet, toilet, and tub. Getting a home water softener installed is another great way to protect your bathroom fixtures from rust stains and scale build-up. Try installing a water softener or iron filter to solve this issue. The role of a water softener is to filter the hard water and rid it of those mineral deposits before it gets to the plumbing or leaves the tap. Additionally, installing a water softener makes your entire plumbing appliances last long for you.
Useful Tips on How to Protect Bathroom Fixtures
Proper Bathroom Ventilation
Sometimes, the reason why toilet and bathroom surfaces are plagued with stains is that enough air does not penetrate the bathroom. Ventilation helps to keep your bathroom dry and moisture-free, which will further reduce the possibility of rusty water stains forming on the surface of your bathtub, sink, and shower.
Dirty Water Spots
If you look at it critically, water will always be present on bathroom fixtures. So if you rely on chrome and related metals for your bathroom fixtures, one problem you may often encounter is decaying coloration. In this case, perhaps an upgrade will save you a lot, in the long run, if cleaning doesn’t restore its shine. By switching to stainless steel bathroom fixtures, you would not have to worry much about rust stains forming overtime for a long time. While stainless steel might seem expensive at first, the value you get and the future stress it saves you from is worth it.
Ugly Water Stains
White minerals, soap scum, or scales may begin to build upon the surfaces, leaving behind stains and spots. To protect them, preheat the surface with white vinegar and wipe with a damp sponge (or toilet brush for the toilet bowl). Then rinse with clean water afterward. The vinegar helps to breakdown the minerals, kills the bacteria, deodorizes the bathroom space, and cleans the surface.
