Schools had shut down for more than a year due to the pandemic and had been thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned before allowing students to attend in-person classes. However one thing that some schools forgot to check were the signs of water leaks, which upon inspections led to the discovery of rotten floorboards. Although most leaks are results of roofing damages, some are caused by faulty plumbing.
The long and short of it is that schools had more than just testing and disinfecting to attend to, since the overall physical conditions of schools were not ready for a safe and stable reopening.
In California, schools in two of the largest school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, did not hold in-person learning until after the next school year. By that time, vaccinations had already rolled out while school officials had their sanitation facilities repaired either by providers of plumbing services. That way, students can safely wash their hands without worsening existing plumbing problems, as well as minimize the dangers of spreading COVID-19 infection.
Why It’s Important to Teach Your Kids What to Do about Common Plumbing Problems
Many students who stay in dorms or residences do not know what to do when faced with clogged toilets and standing water from undetected water leaks. The possibility that your son or daughter will not encounter such problems while living in a boarding house is quite slim. It would be best therefore to teach and train your kids how to effectively use simple plumbing tools like a wrench,pliers or a plunger.
Nevertheless, they still need to call a professional handyman to do the necessary repairs to prevent clogging issues from happening again. It’s also best for them to know the preliminary steps to take while waiting for a professional plumber to arrive. Nowadays, most plumbing companies offer their services any time of the day as they are now available 24/7.
However, if there is a standing agreement that the landlord will be the one to deal with all necessary repairs on the apartment, your kid has to take steps to make the situation bearable. He should know that there is a stop valve that he can twist to turn off the water. It’s a precautionary step in case a roommate unknowingly flushes the toilet before the clog is dislodged and cause water to overflow.
If the plunger doesn’t work in unclogging the sink, toilet or floor drain, your kid could make a declogging solution out of hot water, vinegar and baking soda and pour the mixture over the clogged area. If the mixture does not work, he can simply buy one of those chemical-based declogging solutions but be careful to wear gloves when pouring.