If you plan on maintaining your plumbing yourself, there is a world of information that you need to know. Whether you are outfitting your tool shed or wading through local regulations, knowledge is critical. These tips will give you the information you need to be a better plumber!
It is important that you do not pay a plumber in full, until all of the work is complete and satisfactory. It is customary for many companies to require you to put money down before they begin the job, but always wait to pay the rest of the balance until the job is totally finished. You should know the plumber did his job before you pay him.
Get to know the tools and how they are used for the most success in plumbing. Use manuals and online sites to get informed before doing a plumbing project yourself. Be sure to plan before starting a repair, because it can be expensive to fix mistakes.
Don’t pay a plumber midway through the job. You may need to make a small down payment before the job has begun, but you never want to pay the entire amount until you are certain the job was completed to your satisfaction. You will feel better paying the bill when you are completely satisfied with the job.
Garbage Disposal
Never use your bare hands to try fixing your garbage disposal. Garbage disposals are dangerous, even when turned off. You can search online to get schematics or troubleshooting advice for your garbage disposal.
Check the floors in your bathroom for any give in order to be sure that there is no damage in the floors. Straddle the toilet, so you can rock from one leg to another to determine whether there’s weakness in the floor. Identify any damage and repair it before it gets worse. In the long run, you are likely to save money by not putting off the repair.
If you discover a problem with the garbage disposal, don’t ever reach into it with your hands to attempt to fix it. Even when in the off position, garbage disposals are dangerous. Use the web to locate a diagram or users manual for your device.
If your home has a well for water and there are pink or orange stains in the sinks and tubs, this could be due to high iron content in your water. This is something that needs to be taken care of by water softener, which you can buy at a store, or have a company come out to your house and take care of it for you.
Putting a cup of any kind of baking soda followed with a cup of white vinegar each month will keep your drain running smoothly. The combination will cause a chemical reaction, so just place a cloth or other object over the drain after pouring. Wait a while, then flush it with boiling water. By taking these steps, you have a good chance of ridding your pipes of hair and soap scum.
Garbage Disposal
Run lots of cold water whenever you use your garbage disposal. The blades will stay sharper, and the overall disposal process will run smoother. If you use hot water, any grease that is in the disposal will turn to liquid, and sit inside of the drain, which can clog your pipes.
Use cold water when using your garbage disposal. Cold water will allow for the food particles to be properly disposed of while keeping the blades sharp. Running hot water down the drain while you are using the garbage disposal can cause the drain to clog from any grease that is in there liquefying.
If there is unwanted water draining into the dishwasher, it is most likely because of the hose to the kitchen sink being installed improperly. The hose leading from the kitchen sink to the dishwasher must lead uphill and then back downhill in order to prevent mixing of water from both devices.
As you obviously read in the paragraphs above, plumbing may actually be easier than you think! There are just many basics to learn. You can handle any plumbing job armed with the right research, the will to work and common sense.
If grout is stuck in your plumbing, getting rid of it is likely not going to be a do it yourself project. You can try to break up the grout and send it further down. Plastic pipes, if you have them, will work better than metal. Calling a plumber can be expensive but damaging your pipes will cost a lot more.