Need To Tackle A Plumbing Emergency? Check Out These Tips First!

Being able to take care of basic plumbing around the house is a useful skill. Are you contemplating the potential for dealing with the issues on your own? If this is your goal, you are at the right place. This article contains tips that will advise you on how to improve your home plumbing system.

Septic Tank

Ensure that a septic tank is emptied approximately five yearly, and make sure it is properly maintained. Doing so will help to avoid septic tank problems by ensuring that the tank does not become clogged with sediment. There is a cost to having a company pump out your septic tank. But, a serious backup can cost a lot more if it mean replacing the tank.

Pump your septic tank about once every five years, to make sure it is working well. Deposit and debris build up in your tank can result in major problems. 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.

TIP! To maintain a clean, well-functioning septic tank, it is recommended that you clean it out once every five years. This keeps the sediment from building in the tank, which can cause septic tank failure or backup into your house.

Never reach into your garbage disposal with bare hands, even if there is a serious problem with it. Garbage disposals pose a serious risk, even when flipped 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.

Frequently inspect the floors around toilets for softness; this can tell you whether or not the floors are damaged. Sit reversed on the toilet (facing the tank) with your feet on the floor. Rock your weight onto each foot in turn and see if you can feel any weakness or “give” in the floor. You can save money if you notice the problem as soon as possible.

You should put a strainer over your drains to catch anything that could clog your drain up. Each time a filter is clogged, it should be cleaned. You should clean out the strainer in your bathtub often.

Don’t use any colored tablets that claim to be cleaners in your toilet. It may help to get rid of your toilet’s odors, but it will damage any rubber parts, causing your toilet to malfunction, or even break down.

TIP! Do not use harsh chemicals to clean or treat your toilet. These tablets have chemicals that can damage rubber parts that are essential to the proper functioning of your toilet.

Water from wells can cause orange or rust colored stains in places like bathtubs and sinks. This comes from large amounts of iron present in the 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.

Energy Efficient Shower

Install low flush toilets and energy efficient shower heads and faucets to reduce your utility bills. Energy efficient shower heads can save you money on your energy bill and water bill. Water-conserving shower heads are relatively affordable, but using them can save you a great deal of money within a single year.

You can resolve most toilet clogs yourself. Try a plunger first. If plunging the toilet doesn’t seem to clear up a clog, check the toilet’s water level. If it’s too low, try filling a bucket with warm water. Open the toilet’s tank, and pour the water in. Once the water level is low again, you may repeated this procedure.

TIP! If you are unable to relieve a clogged toilet with a plunger, try pouring a small bucket of water into the bowl from about waist level if the level of water in the bowl is low. After the water level in the toilet bowl has gone down, you can repeat the procedure until the blockage is cleared.

Always buy a high quality fixture if you are going to replace your shower head. People try to save money by buying the least expensive shower head that is out there. While it may be cheap, chances are you will have to replace it sooner, as it’s more likely to break sooner.

If you want to try a pipe cleaner because your pipes are obstructed, it is recommended you use a cleaner that is enzyme based. These cleaners use natural bacteria to turn the sludge into a liquid, and remove it from your pipes. Enzyme cleaners are efficient and will not damage your pipes.

Make sure to clean your dryer’s lint trap. This not only prevents fires, but saves money. Regularly check your dryer’s lint trap to see if it has any tears or holes that could potentially damage your dryer, and clog up your plumbing.

Never put your hands in your garbage disposal to fix a problem. Garbage disposals can be dangerous, even if they are powered off. Look for a diagram of the garbage disposal you have on the Internet.

TIP! Never use your bare hands to try fixing your garbage disposal. Garbage disposals can be dangerous, even when they are turned off.

If you have grout stuck in the line, it probably won’t help you cleaning it all by yourself. The grout can be broken in order to send it further down the line. This works best if your pipes are plastic instead of metal. Calling a plumber can be expensive but damaging your pipes will cost a lot more.

Running cold water while using your garbage disposal is recommended even though some people insist that you don’t have to. Although some say that running water will help keep the disposal running smoothly, this isn’t always the case. The opposite is actually true. The running water can cause the disposal to clog, causing a plumbing problem.

Prepare for the cold winter months by checking that your outdoor faucets are not dripping or leaking. You will have to fix this potential problem before freezing temperatures come. Freezing water can cause pressure to build up, causing your pipes to crack, or burst, regardless if your pipes are constructed with steel, plastic, or metal. The tiniest cracks might create water damage or cause water to flood into your house.

Don’t pour cooking grease, leftover frying fat or any oils down your sink drain. Oils will eventually harden and clog up your drain. This is especially the case if you possess a garbage disposal; fats and oils cause blades to run less efficiently and slow. Dispose of your oils in a coffee can or other suitable container instead of your sink.

TIP! Avoid putting grease, fat, and other oils down your drain. As they cool off, they can solidify and effectively create clogs and blockages in your drains.

If you are looking for a plumbing contractor, take some time to check with the Department of Consumer Affairs. There you can check on their license to see if it is valid, and also if there is any consumer complaints against the contractor. If they are not licensed or have complaints, you should choose someone else to do the job.

It is important to know the location of the valve that cuts off water to your house. You should see a water meter located on it or close by. Toilets, sinks and other fixtures could have their own valves that cut off. Show your family members where these valves are, and then add markings that show how they should be turned off if an emergency occurs.

Because you’ve read over the above article, you should feel confident and excited about doing some of your own plumbing. The tips here should help you to attain the results you desire. If you have other plumbing issues not covered here, there is a wealth of additional information at your fingertips, just by performing a few web searches.

Schedule one plumber to take care of all your issues in one single visit. It might be tempting to hire a plumber for every little problem, but if you can save it up for one big fix, then you have time to set money aside for these repairs. Another reason it lowers costs is that plumbers bill per hour worked, and due to partial hour effects, doing all the work at once results in lower billable hours.

TIP! Set up a time when all plumbing work will be completed at one time. Do not call a plumber for minor issues.