Knowing what you are doing is essential if you plan on undertaking any plumbing projects in your home. One little mistake can lead to major water damage inside your home, which can end up costing you a small fortune to fix. Plumbing education and preparation makes homeowners more prepared to deal with them.
To keep your pipes from getting frozen, always maintain a temperature in the house above freezing and make sure all pipes exposed to outside elements are insulated properly. Your plumbing can freeze if the air around it is below 32 degrees. If they do freeze, you are looking at some time before they can thaw out, thus you will have to wait for running water. However, frozen pipes commonly break or crack pipes, leading to flooding and costly repairs.
Septic Tank
Anchoring your pipes can eliminate the hammering and squeaking noises caused by loose pipes and fitting. You must anchor all exposed pipes. If pipes are located in the floors, ceiling or walls, a professional might be needed for the job.
It is a advisable to have a septic tank pumped every five years to keep it in peak condition. Septic systems can back up when the septic tank builds up sediment. This can even result in the septic system failing altogether. While you may find it costly to get your septic tank cleaned out, the cost is much higher to have sewage and backups cleaned up and your septic tank repaired or replaced.
Do not attempt fixing your garbage disposal with bare hands. Garbage disposals can be dangerous, even if they are powered off. Hire a professional, or at least find your owner’s manual to look at a diagram of the disposal. Many owner’s manuals are available online, and may even contain interactive troubleshooters.
Use a drain strainer to prevent small particles from sliding down your drain and causing clogs. Clean out the one in the kitchen whenever there’s something trapped there that shouldn’t be. Bathtubs should be equipped with strainers as well, and they too will need to be cleaned regularly.
If you discover that a water pipe has frozen, find the tap closest to the pipe so when the thaw happens, the water has an exit point. This can prevent damage to your house because it lets the pressure that is in the pipe out, and keeps it from bursting.
Do not put any oil, fat, or greasy foods or products in your sink. When they cool, they will harden and create clogs in your drains. They’ll also muck up your garbage disposal and cause it to be less efficient. See to it that you dispose the oils away from your sink.
If you get your water from a well and orange or pink stains appear in your sink or tub, then you can be sure that the culprit is iron in your water. You will need a water softener in order to take care of this problem, which you could purchase at a local store, or hire someone to go to your home and fix it for you.
Garbage Disposal
Avoid the use of products for your toilet that help with odor, such as bleach tablets. These things may help improve smells, but they can damage the rubber components of a toiler, which can cause it to function improperly or even worse, completely break down.
Make sure that you’re always cleaning your garbage disposal regularly. Doing this will save you from having to repair or replace an expensive piece of equipment in the future. If your garbage disposal begins to emit a bad smell, run some dish detergent and citrus rinds through the cycle to make it smell fresher.
Installing shower heads that are more effective can save you a lot on your energy head. The majority of hot water is consumed by showers. If you use energy efficient heads for your showers, you can save hundreds each year on your bills.
If you wish to use a pipe cleaner to clear out your clogged pipes, look for one that is enzyme-based. These cleaners use natural bacteria to turn the sludge into a liquid, and remove it from your pipes. Enzyme based cleaners are not corrosive so they won’t erode your metal pipes.
You can unclog a toilet by pouring warm water in the bowl from waist level. Do this as often as necessary if the water level dips back down again.
Be sure to regularly clean out the lint trap that is in your dryer. This can prevent troubles, including fires. Be sure to check the trap for tears and rips, because this can cause bigger problems as it may mean that lint is escaping into your pipes.
Over time, sediment buildup may lead to problems with low water pressure. Often, this problem can be addressed by thoroughly cleaning out the aerator. To clean the aerator, you first want to disassemble the faucet and remove it. After that, remove the aerator and scrub it clean with a fine brush. You can use vinegar or some other type of cleaning solution to assist in the task. Wash it off, put it back together and connect the aerator to the faucet. This technique causes the water pressure to rise via the removing of any blockage within the aerator.
You need to be properly educated and prepared in order to stay away from plumbing problems. The homeowners who educate themselves about plumbing are more prone to make better decisions regarding plumbing issues. Also, those who are educated on plumbing can fix issues easier.
You should regularly check for water damage to your bathroom floor caused by your toilet in order to save money and further complications. Feel the floor around the toilet and check to see if the floor is soft, molded, chipping, etc. Another great way to check is to actually sit on the toilet and move in a rocking motion, going back and forth from right to left to see how much give you feel. 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.