General household plumbing tips:

1- Extend the life of your hand held kitchen sink faucet sprayer or tub/ shower faucet hand held sprayer by flushing with cold water after using hot water. Whenever possible avoid letting hot water stand in spray hose for extended periods of time. This will greatly increase the life of your spray hose. See more at this website

2- For safety purposes never set your thermostat on your water heater above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in excess of 120 degrees greatly increase the risk of scalding, especially in children and the elderly members of your household. If higher temps are wanted for particular areas of the house a mixing valve or point of use water heaters are options check with your local licensed plumbing contractor to help decide which would be best for your particular situation.

3- Prevent your outside hose bib from freeze-up in winter by the following: Remove hose from bib prior to start of your winter season. Turn the shut off valve to the hose bib to the off position. If you presently have a stem type valve or no valve at all, a ball valve with a bleeder is strongly suggested. even if you have a frost proof style hose bib a shut off valve is recommended. The hose must still be removed to prevent hose bib from being damaged. The hose bib can than be left in an open position to allow residual water to drain and to also prevent line from filling with water. In the event that your current valve does not shut off properly if you have faucets in the house that sometimes freeze up during periods of cold, leave the cabinet doors under the faucet open to allow heat to the area. in extreme instances you can let the faucet trickle a small stream of water as moving water is less likely to freeze where possible you can insulate the pipes. This is suggested if the pipes travel along an outside interior wall. Unfortunately in areas of extreme cold there is no guaranteed method of preventing freezing pipes 100%. If you are going to be away from home for an extended period of time during the cold season, contact your local licensed plumbing contractor to winterize your home prior to leaving.

4- unusually high water bills? First check all faucets for obvious drips. You can check your toilets for unseen leaks by placing food coloring in the tank. Without flushing, check the bowl in about 20 minutes. If the bowl watercolor has changed to match the dye color the tank is losing water & costing you $$$$$$$$$. If your water meter is located outside you can shut off main water supply inside you house. After shutting off water supply inside house look to see if you meter is turning outside. If so, you may have an underground leak in you water service. If you believe this is the problem, contact your local water authority & a licensed plumber to check for you.