Many say that doing plumbing yourself is hard. However, it’s easier if you have right suggestions and information. This article is full of plumbing tips that will help get your project completed.
If you have noisy pipes that sound like hammering or squeaking, this is something that is easy to fix. Anchor any pipes that are exposed. You are going to need a professional if the pipes will be located in the ceiling, walls, or the floors.
You don’t want to end up with frozen pipes, so take preventive action, such as wrapping outside pipes with insulation, and keeping indoor temperatures above freezing at all times. But, be advised that your pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature near those pipes is less than freezing. It could take some time in order for the pipes to thaw out so that you can have running water. But, more importantly, the pipes can burst, which will cause a huge mess and big repair bill.
Have a professional flush your septic tank every five years or so to keep it working well. This will prevent sediment from piling up in your tank, which could cause it to overflow into your home and yard, or even cause the entire septic system to fail. Pumping a septic tank might cost a lot of money, but it will cost your more money to clean any back up in sewage you may have had, and replacing your septic tank costs even more!!
If you have a water pipe that freezes, have the tap closest to it turned on so the water can exit while the pipe thaws. Doing so provides pressure relief, and might spare you the damage of a burst pipe.
Check your floors for softness around toilets, so that you can ascertain if there is any floor damage. Straddle the toilet, then start rocking on each foot to check whether you feel softness or weakening on the floor under you. When you have a problem like this to deal with, the earlier you detect it, the less expensive it will be to take care of.
A strainer should be placed over all the drains in order to gather particles that would just get in the drain and potentially cause stoppage. Your kitchen sink strainer must be cleaned whenever it catches anything. Bathtub strainers need regular cleaning as well.
Toilet discs and odor removers should never be used in your toilet. These may deodorize, but they can seriously damage the rubber pieces in the toilet, causing poor functionality or even complete breakdown of the fixture.
Never put fat, grease, or oils into your drain. They might be in liquid form, but after they cool off, they will solidify and make a clog in your drain pipe. This is most true if you use a garbage disposal, as the fat causes the blades to function slower and they will become less efficient. Make certain you dispose of all oils in other places other than the sink.
You should make sure that the holes are not stopped up on the overflow. These passages allow your sink to fill up without overflowing onto your floor, and if they’re blocked that can cause you a major headache. Periodically clear out the overflow holes when doing your other checks for things that may need repaired.
Don’t skimp on quality when it comes to replacing a shower head. Some people think it’s alright to get the cheapest head for your shower in the store. While it may be cheap, chances are you will have to replace it sooner, as it’s more likely to break sooner.
If you discover a problem with the garbage disposal, don’t ever reach into it with your hands to attempt to fix it. Even an un-powered garbage disposal presents significant danger. 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.
When running your garbage disposal, plumbers recommend using only cold water to help ease food particles down the drain. A common misconception is that if you flow water into the disposal while you’re putting solid items down there, the process will be smoother, but that just isn’t true. Actually, the water can make the garbage stick to the disposal, which can lead to more damage.
Drain Cleaners
Drain cleaners should be avoided, if possible. The chemicals found in drain cleaners are very corrosive, and can end up damaging your pipes if you use them too much. Consider hiring a professional when you have drain problems.
You can check for damage to the floors around the toilets by checking for soft areas. Straddle the toilet and rock from one foot to the other to see if you feel any weakening or “softness” in the floor beneath you. It could potentially save money by discovering any problems before too much damage occurs.
Locate the main water shut-off for your property before you start any DIY plumbing projects. A water meter should be located on or near it. Look for additional cut-off valves for you indoor equipment, such as toilets, sinks or any other water source. Make sure every member of the family knows where the values are located, and mark them so they are easy to turn off in case the need arises.
Plumbing requires more skills than just routing water from point A to point B. Fixing water lines is a common thing plumbers work on.
Because plumbing is so difficult, many people are overwhelmed by the prospect of plumbing repairs, and will pay any price to plumbers. As a homeowner, you need to have some understanding of basic plumbing to prevent getting overcharged. You will not lose any money this way.
If your home runs on well water and you notice any orange or pink stains in your fixtures or tub, this is because of iron in your water. This can be remedied by using a water softener which can be purchased at a shop, or a company can pay a visit to your home and handle the situation for you.
Many people find the idea of plumbing repairs to be frightening because of the potential destruction, if a mistake is made. Know where your main water valve is to avoid flooding in case of serious plumbing issues. In order to prevent water damage to your home, you must know the location of the water register, and how you can quickly turn it off.
When installing your new water heater, make sure you reconnect the pipe that is extending from your drainage. It’s probably a pipe for recirculation, and that does a tremendous job of keeping your water hot without wasting water along the way.
As was discussed at the beginning of the article, while plumbing can be an extremely difficult chore for anyone to complete, it becomes significantly easier if you have the right advice and information. Use the advice from this article, and you’ll be on your way to doing your own plumbing.
Schedule one plumber to take care of all your issues in one single visit. Rather than calling a plumber every time there is a minor problem, taking care of everything at once allows you to save money for additional repairs down the road. You can save money by only paying a single service call fee instead of ending up with multiple hours being billed from multiple visits.