When it comes time for you to start maintaining and fixing your own plumbing, you may wonder where to begin. There are so many things to consider when purchasing tools and equipment and when following regulations and instructions. You will be a better plumber if you use the information in this article.
Keep your plumbing flowing by maintaining a temperature above 32 degrees and wrapping up any exposed pipe works. The pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature drops below freezing. Even in the best case scenario, it will take hours for thawing to happen before you have running water again. However, your pipes can explode, as well – making a huge plumbing bill.
Septic Tank
You should clean your septic tank every five years! 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. While it may cost a bit to have your septic tank pumped out, it will cost you much more to clean up any sewage backup or to repair or replace your septic tank.
Understanding how your tools work can give you a tremendous boost when plumbing. So be sure to read through all your manuals as well as research as much as you can on the internet where you can gain information to help you with your projects. Before undertaking repairs on your own, you should have a plan; otherwise, a mistake could make repairs even more costly.
Check the floor for soft areas around the toilet to determine floor damage. You can check for softness or weakness in the floor by placing one foot on each side of the toilet and rocking back and forth. You can wind up saving your money simply by noticing the problem early on.
Keep your garbage disposal clean and it will last longer. By utilizing a routine on a regular basis, using the combination of lemon rinds, cherry pits, and dish soap, you can maintain a disposal that runs great and smells like new.
Think about what plumbing work you need, then schedule them all at once. While you may be tempted to call the plumber whenever you have a slight problem, scheduling it all at once gives you the opportunity to save money to pay for the repairs. Most plumbers charge an hourly fee that can be minimized if there is only one visit to your home.
A great maintenance routine for bathtub drains is to pour baking soda and vinegar into the drain opening once a month. Cover it with a plug or rag, because a chemical reaction is sure to occur in your pipes. Wait for a little while, and then pour boiling water down the drain. This simple solution can break up clogs caused by everything from hair to soap scum.
Garbage Disposal
Always have cold water running when you are using your garbage disposal. The blades on the unit will remain sharper and disposal will proceed with few glitches. 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 water is draining into a dishwasher, it is probably because the hose attached to the sink is not installed correctly. You must have the hose going uphill and then down to get rid of the water in the dishwater.
Keep your dryer’s lint trap clean. This is preventative maintenance that will prevent many problems, including fires. Inspect your lint trap often to see if there are any tears or holes. If there are, you can have lint getting into your pipes, and this will clog them and give you more problems that will have to be dealt with.
If your home has low water pressure, you can often fix the problem by cleaning out the aerators on your fixtures. Take the aerator apart and clean it with a brush and some vinegar. Rinse off the aerator then reassemble and reattach to the faucet. This should raise the water pressure nicely because anything that was inside of the aerator will be removed.
Drain Cleaners
Keep from using harsh drain cleaners. Drain cleaners contain very corrosive chemicals that can cause damage to your pipes if used too much. Rather than using drain cleaners, hire a plumber to fix your blockage problems.
If you are having trouble removing a clean-out plug, there are two ways to do it. The first method involves a hammer and chisel to loosen the fitting. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to break through the plug itself.
It may be that you cannot control which plumber is sent to your house, though it is possible to read up on their qualifications. Even if your insurance provider has assigned you someone of their choosing, find out who it is online and check do a web search for ratings of previous customers, so that you can be prepared for their arrival.
Be certain that your toilet does not have a leak. Check for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank of each toilet. Keep your eyes on the toilet bowl, and if the colored water seeps into the bowl, you know that there is an issue with your toilet that you will need to take care of soon.
Valves that are used only infrequently sometimes fuse together. You have to turn them often to avoid sticking, and keep penetrating them with oil.
For some folks, plumbing can cause anxiety since they think it is something which can cause major damage to their home. Luckily, there is an easy solution to avoid a disaster. Always be sure to know where your water meter is and precisely how to turn off the water in the event of an emergency.
As you have hopefully learned, plumbing doesn’t have to be complicated even if it can appear intimidating at times. There are just many basics to learn. All you need to begin is a bit of knowledge, work, and some common sense to seek the most helpful and effectual ways to complete the job.