If you need to take on your own plumbing, there are a lot of questions you may have. These tips can help you become a much better plumber.
You can prevent frozen pipes within the home, by ensuring the temperature does not fall below freezing. Another important step is insulating pipes that are exposed to cold temperatures. If the temperature surrounding these pipes is below the freezing point, your pipes could freeze. The best result you can hope for from frozen pipes is to be without water until the pipes thaw. But, they could also burst, causing a mess and a large repair bill.
If you have a clogged toilet with a low water level and a plunger isn’t doing the job, it’s time to try adding a bucket of lukewarm water to the toilet from a around three feet or higher. Do this every time the water level gets too low.
In order to prevent any pipes within your home from freezing, you should never let the home temperature get below freezing. Always insulate pipes exposed to elements. Obviously, if it is below freezing outdoors, the pipes will be subjected to the same temperatures. In the very least, you could lose running water inside while waiting for the pipes to unfreeze. They could also burst costing you a lot of money and repairs.
Garbage Disposal
If you find you are having an issue with the garbage disposal, do not put your bare hands in the disposal. Even an un-powered garbage disposal presents significant danger. Look for a diagram of the garbage disposal you have on the Internet.
You can check for damage to the floors around the toilets by checking for soft areas. You can check for softness or weakness in the floor by placing one foot on each side of the toilet and rocking back and forth. It’s important to catch and address floor damage problems as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more expensive the repair will be.
Have your septic tank cleaned every five years to keep it in prime condition. Septic systems can back up when the septic tank builds up sediment. This can even result in the septic system failing altogether. The cost to have your tank pumped might be a little steep, but it sure beats the alternative of dealing with sewage in your home or on your property.
If you notice orange or pink stains in your bathroom fixtures, this is because of the iron in your water. You can combat this by using a water softener. You can either purchase it at a store, or hire a company to come to your house to set it up for you.
Baking Soda
You can pour baking soda down a drain followed by some vinegar if you want to keep drains clear. This should be done once a month, and a cup each of baking soda and vinegar should be used. This will cause the vigorous bubbling you may remember from the “volcano” in a grade school science project, so be sure to close the drain with a stopper. After a few minutes,just flush the drain out with water that has reached a boiling point. Doing this will probably void your pipes of hair accumulations and soap scum.
If you find you are having an issue with the garbage disposal, do not put your bare hands in the disposal. Even when they are turned off, disposals can be very dangerous. Go online and search for sketch of your disposal, or a troubleshooter.
To lower the chance that you will have issues with your toilet, do not approach it like it’s a trash can. You should never flush cotton balls, sanitary pads, tissues, paper towels, diapers, or certain other materials, because these things don’t dissolve and could clog up your toilet. Also, be conservative in your use of toilet paper.
Don’t skimp on quality when it’s time to replace that shower head. People usually opt for a cheap shower head instead of a quality product. However, they are inexpensive for a reason, this being that they are cheaply made and tend to break a lot easier.
If you don’t want to spend a lot on repairing plumbing problems, learn to prevent problems before they occur. One of the most common repairs involves fixing drain clogs. Clogs in drains can be caused by hair, among other things. There are ways around this; you can use a drain cover or screen which is actually designed in order to keep your pipes and drain free of hair. Taking the hair off of the screen and disposing of it is cheaper and easier than removing it from the pipes.
Do not pour grease or other oils in your sink or down your drain. When they cool off, they become hard and will clog your pipes. This is primarily true if you are someone who has a garbage disposal; the fats will make the blades go slower and less freely. Make certain you dispose of all oils in other places other than the sink.
Drain Cleaners
Drain cleaners should be avoided, if possible. Drain cleaners contain caustic and damaging chemicals which can destroy your pipes if used too often. Rather than using cleaners, hire a professional to look at your clogged drain.
If you have to take out the clean out plug and cannot do it, you can do it this two ways. You can use a hammer and a chisel to attempt to make the fitting looser. If the plug itself is expendable, chiseling it into pieces and extracting them can work, too.
Keep your bathtub drain running well by pouring a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain each month. Cover it with a plug or rag, since a chemical reaction should happen in the pipes. After waiting a few minutes, flush the drain with boiling water. Doing this will help rid your pipes of disgusting soap scum and blockages.
As the winter months encroach on your home, check your outdoor faucets for dripping and leaking. If there is any leaking or dripping, this needs to be fixed before the temperature falls below freezing. Whatever material your pipes are built from, very cold water pressure can make pipes crack. Even a very tiny crack can cause water to get out and flood your home, or at least cause some water damage.
Because plumbing is so difficult, many people are overwhelmed by the prospect of plumbing repairs, and will pay any price to plumbers. If you own your home, it is very important to have at least some knowledge about plumbing so you can understand what the plumber is doing. By learning a little bit about the topic, you can rest assured that you won’t be robbed blind by a plumber.
Plumbing problems can be a nightmare because of the destruction that plumbing leaks can cause. By only knowing one thing, this nightmare can be avoided. Know where you can find the water register in your home, and how you can turn it off.
Do special checks on your sink overflow holes to ensure they are not becoming clogged. Overflow holes are one of those things which you forget about until you need them. When checking for potential problems and repairs, you should also remove obstructions from the overflow holes.
Plumbing doesn’t have to be complicated, especially if you know what you’re doing. There are, however, certain basics that you must understand. All that you need to get started is doing a little homework, putting in some effort and using your head to determine the soundest approach to the problem at hand.
