It can seem like a lot of work to learn about plumbing, but once you begin, you will see it is actually pretty straightforward. Hopefully, finding this list of helpful tips will help you with your plumbing methods and skill set.
Frozen Pipes
You can prevent frozen pipes within the home, by ensuring the temperature does not fall below freezing. Another important step is insulating pipes that are exposed to cold temperatures. 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. However, frozen pipes often burst, causing damage to your home and a hefty repair bill.
If your water pipe freezes, switch on the nearest faucet tap to that pipe so that water can exit when the pipe thaws. This reduces pressure to keep the pipe from bursting, which could prevent a big mess in your home.
Knowing which tools to use and how you should use them is an important skill when it comes to plumbing. Read all the user manuals, and make use of the library and internet to learn all about projects you can do by yourself. Plan thoroughly before attempting a repair. Mistakes can be very expensive to fix.
Pass on seemingly convenient cleaning products like bleach tablets and blue toilet tabs. While they may be effective deodorizers, they can damage rubber parts in your toilet. If they become too damaged, your toilet will not operate properly.
Feel the floors around the toilets to see if they are soft; this will help you know if you have any damage. An easy way to test for floor softness is by straddling the toilet and shifting your weight. If the floor feels soft when you do this, you have floor damage. Picking up on any problems now will definitely work to save you money later. It’s the difference in a little maintenance and total floor replacement.
If you live in a home using well water and your bathtubs have stains pink and orange in color, this is likely a result of iron levels in the well 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.
To keep your garbage disposal working at its best, use plenty of cold water when you turn it on. The blades on the unit will remain sharper and disposal will proceed with few glitches. Avoid using hot water, as this will liquefy grease, causing it to build up in the drain and obstruct your pipes.
Kitchen Sink
If the hose that leads to your kitchen sink has not been maintained or installed properly, you may notice that water is constantly draining to the dishwasher. This hose must lead uphill and downhill to prevent mixing water between the kitchen sink and the dishwasher.
Don’t skimp on quality when it comes to replacing a shower head. Most times, people tend to think that it is alright to purchase the most inexpensive shower head they could find. However, they are inexpensive for a reason, this being that they are cheaply made and tend to break a lot easier.
If you get grout stuck in the plumbing, it’s going to be very difficult to remove by yourself. The grout can be broken in order to send it further down the line. Having plastic pipes rather metal pipes will work a lot better. Calling a plumber can be expensive but damaging your pipes will cost a lot more.
Don’t bother running your water when you use the garbage disposal. People think that things will go more smoothly down the disposal if water is used at the same time, but it does nothing to help. The truth is that it might encourage food to adhere to the disposal itself, causing additional harm.
You can use two different methods to remove clean out plugs. The first way is to get a chisel and a hammer and try to jostle the fitting loose. Unfortunately, if you still cannot remove the plug, the only viable option left on the table is to bust right through the plug completely with the hammer and chisel.
Research potential plumbers before hiring one. Sometimes plumbers will not be very good at their job, and can even make problems worse than they are. Look for reviews on the internet, and ask your friends and family if they can recommend a good plumber.
Always check for leaks in and around your toilets. Try dropping a little food coloring in the tank. Look at its bowl, then if you spot any colored water within just a few seconds, there’s an issue that must be dealt with soon.
If you are searching for someone to do your plumbing work, check out the Consumer Affairs Department. They provide many useful services, such as the ability to file a service complaint review complaints, and confirm that they are licensed. If a contractor’s license has expired or isn’t in good standing, you don’t want to hire that contractor.
A lot of people do not know what to do about their plumbing issues so they pay a plumber big bucks! If you own your own home, then it behooves you to understand plumbing concepts to the degree that you can assess a professional plumber’s work. This will protect you against scams.
Now that you’ve read this article I hope that plumbing doesn’t seem as daunting to you! As with many home improvement topics, plumbing encompasses a great deal of different topics. Sometimes you need just the right information to get started. With any luck, the tips above should get you on the right path.