Plumbing Tips That Every Homeowner Can Use

When it comes to plumbing, many things can go wrong. A few things can be easy to fix, but others are sometimes more difficult. Whatever the case might be, it is crucial that you have some education about plumbing so a problem can be repaired in a timely fashion.

Noisy pipes are actually a lot easier to fix than you would imagine. Anchor exposed pipes to get rid of noises. Call a plumber to help with pipes that require you to cut a hole in a wall, ceiling or floor.

32 Degrees

If you possess pipes that are alive with the sound of squeaking or hammering, you have an issue that is easily corrected. You must anchor all exposed pipes. You might have to call a professional to help finish the project if pipes are in floors, ceiling or walls.

TIP! If your pipes are making a racket, there is a simple way to quiet them down. Those pipes will need to be anchored if they are exposed.

Keep your plumbing flowing by maintaining a temperature above 32 degrees and wrapping up any exposed pipe works. Your plumbing can freeze if the air around it is below 32 degrees. In the very least, you could lose running water inside while waiting for the pipes to unfreeze. However, they could burst, which would cause a huge mess and an extremely big repair bill.

Knowing all your different tools and how they are used will be a great help when you work on a plumbing job. Read every manual, and use the Internet and library to research the projects that you plan on doing. Prior to attempting any repairs, be certain to plan ahead in order to avoid expensive errors.

You can unclog a toilet by pouring warm water in the bowl from waist level. Repeat this procedure if necessary as the water returns back to a lower level.

If you don’t want plumbing in your home frozen, then don’t let the inside temperature go under the freezing mark, and make sure any pipes that have no protection from the elements are thoroughly insulated. But, be advised that your pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature near those pipes is less than freezing. In the very least, you could lose running water inside while waiting for the pipes to unfreeze. However, frozen pipes often burst, causing damage to your home and a hefty repair bill.

TIP! If you don’t want plumbing in your home frozen, then don’t let the inside temperature go under the freezing mark, and make sure any pipes that have no protection from the elements are thoroughly insulated. Obviously, frozen pipes occur due to freezing environmental conditions.

Garbage Disposal

Never reach into a garbage disposal that you think isn’t working. Garbage disposals pose a serious risk, even when flipped off. Locate a diagram of the garbage disposal, or some sort of troubleshooter, online.

Keep a strainer over every drain in your house to prevent stray debris from clogging your pipes. Clean debris from these strainers after each use. You should clean out the strainer in your bathtub often.

You can easily see if there are any serious damages caused by leaks by checking if the floor is soft around toilets. Straddle the toilet, so you can rock from one leg to another to determine whether there’s weakness in the floor. You can save money if you notice the problem as soon as possible.

TIP! You can easily see if there are any serious damages caused by leaks by checking if the floor is soft around toilets. Straddle your toilet by rocking it from foot to foot to see if there’s any weakening or softness on the floor below you.

Try to have all your plumbing repairs done at once. You might want to call every time you need a tiny issue fixed with your plumbing, but if you know the system is bad, if you just call once, you can start saving for the major repair before you call. 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.

Enzyme based pipe cleaners should be a first choice when you are trying to unclog a pipe that is blocked or draining slowly. Enzyme based pipe cleaners utilize natural bacteria to attack the clog and dissolve it so it can be washed away. The cleaners that have enzymes are the best you can buy.

Clean your dryer’s lint trap. This is preventative maintenance that will prevent many problems, including fires. Be sure to inspect the lint screen for any tears or holes. That could result in lint traveling down your pipes, and that may result in clogs and other issues that have to be dealt with.

If your house uses well water and there are orange or pink stains in tubs or sinks, it’s because of the iron level in the water. To get rid of this problem, you can either use a commercial product to soften the water, or have a contractor come to your home and do the work for you.

TIP! If your home operates on well water and you notice pink or orange stains in your bathtub and other fixtures, this is no doubt due to iron in the water. A water softener can cure this problem and can be installed by you, or you may opt to have a professional to come and install it for you.

The key towards maintaining low plumbing repair bills is prevention. Clogged drains are one of the more common issues when it comes to plumbing problems. Built up hair can actually clog drains. Put a drain cover or a screen that is made to protect drains over your drain so that hair cannot get in. You can remove hair much easier from a screen as opposed to getting it out of the inside of a pipe.

Frozen Pipes

One plumbing repair that costs a lot of money is frozen pipes. Fortunately, frozen pipes are easy to prevent. The first concern is making sure that all water lines that run outside of your house are fully and sufficiently insulated. When it gets cooler, drain and disconnect the hoses and shut off your outside faucet. Doing so can prevent some nasty repair bills a professional plumber would charge you.

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. Using lemon rinds and cherry pits mixed with dish soap will help keep your garbage disposal operating efficiently and smelling fresh.

TIP! Clean your garbage disposal regularly to prolong the life of your disposal. By regularly “cleaning” the disposal with lemon rinds, cherry pits and dish soap, you can make sure that your garbage disposal is running well and smelling so clean it could be new.

Clean the aerator to adjust water pressure issues which result from sediment build up. First, you need to remove the aerator, and then take it apart and clean it using a small brush that has been dipped in vinegar. Rinse your aerator, put it back together and back into the faucet. This should remove any obstructions that were in the aerator, thereby improving your water pressure.

As you know, plumbing can have lots of different things go wrong with it. If you use the tips you have just learned, you will have an easier time fixing whatever problems you may encounter.