Plumbing For Dummies: Some Top Tips

TIP! If your pipes make squeaking and hammering noises, it may be very simple to fix. You must anchor any type of exposed pipe.

Water is important to all life forms, but it can be the bane of the frustrated homeowner who has to deal with plumbing problems. A plumbing malfunction could literally ruin a house and cost a lot of money. Thankfully, there are many steps a homeowner can take to prevent plumbing headaches from occurring, while also minimizing problems should they happen.

TIP! If a water pipe freezes, you should turn the on tap that is nearest to the pipe to ensure the water has a place to get out when the pipe thaws out. This can prevent damage to your house because it lets the pressure that is in the pipe out, and keeps it from bursting.

Noisy pipes that make squeaking or hammering sounds are an easy problem to fix. If pipes are exposed, you must anchor them. For pipes that are situated inside walls, or the floor or ceiling, you should hire a professional.

TIP! You should have your septic tank pumped once every five years for best performance. This prevents sediment from building up in the tank and causing a backup into your home or causing the failure of the septic system itself.

Don’t let your house temperature drop to below freezing and make sure to insulate anything that is exposed to the outside elements to prevent frozen pipes. Obviously, if it is below freezing outdoors, the pipes will be subjected to the same temperatures. If pipes do freeze, the best possible scenario would include taking time for the pipes to thaw and any frozen water to drain. However, frozen pipes often burst, causing damage to your home and a hefty repair bill.

TIP! Feel the floors around the toilets to see if they are soft; this will help you know if you have any damage. Sit on the toilet and move from side to side, placing one foot on the ground.

If you discover a frozen water pipe, turn on a nearby faucet so that thawed ice has a place to go. This will relieve pressure and might prevent the pipe from bursting, preventing further damage.

TIP! Pour baking soda and vinegar down your bathtub drain every month. Cover the drain with a plug or rag as you wait for the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda to happen in your pipes.

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’s important to catch and address floor damage problems as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more expensive the repair will be.

TIP! Do special checks on your sink overflow holes to ensure they are not becoming clogged. Overflow holes are used in case the sink starts to overfill, which may not seem like a big problem–until it is.

Have all your plumbing needs scheduled all at once. Do not call a plumber for minor issues. You can save money by waiting to have everything fixed at the same time. Most plumbers charge an hourly fee that can be minimized if there is only one visit to your home.

Shower Heads

TIP! Frozen pipes can cause you to incur expensive plumbing repair bills. This can usually be prevented.

One easy way to save on energy and water is to install efficiency-oriented shower heads. Showers and baths are responsible for the bulk of your hot water usage. If you spend several extra dollars putting in energy-saving shower heads, you can potentially reduce your energy bill by $100 or more annually for every shower head used in your home.

TIP! If there’s grout stuck inside your line, it’s most likely will be a losing cause if you try to fix it all by yourself. You could dislodge the grout and cause it go further down.

If you need to buy a pipe cleaner to unclog your pipes, it is best to find one that is enzyme based. This type of cleaner uses natural bacteria to transform sludge into liquid, that makes it disappear from the pipes. The most highly recommended pipe cleaners are enzyme cleaners.

TIP! Check your toilet for any leaks. Try dropping a little food coloring in the tank.

Clean your dryer’s lint trap. This saves you from potential problems, including the prevention of fires. Be sure to check the trap for tears and rips, because this can cause bigger problems as it may mean that lint is escaping into your pipes.

TIP! A sewage backup into the toilet is caused by problems often deep within the sewage line. If you are unable to fix the blockage, you will need to hire a professional to run a snake in the line to clean it.

In order to keep your plumbing bills as low as possible, keep in mind prevention is key. Drain clogging is a very common plumbing problem. Built up hair can actually clog drains. Use a drain cover to keep hair and other elements from going down your pipes. It’s more convenient to remove hair before it has a chance to get down the drain and into the pipes.

TIP! Valves that are rarely used tend to fuse together. Use penetrating oil to maintain them and run water through them once in a while.

Clean the aerator to fix low pressure problems in case you have sediment buildups. First, you should remove and disassemble the aerator. Next, clean it with a brush that has been dipped in white vinegar. After the aerator is thoroughly cleaned, rinse it under clear water, put it back together, and attach it to your faucet again. Remove the sediment from the aerator to increase water pressure.

Garbage Disposal

TIP! Don’t use chemical drain opener to unclog drains. Many chemicals in drain openers are hazardous to your health.

A good tip to use when using your garbage disposal is to leave the water turned off. It is popular belief that running water will help the garbage disposal work, but this is mistaken. The truth is that water could make garbage stick to the disposal, which might create a problem later.

TIP! If you’re the type of individual who likes to conserve water, then you can opt for a tankless model of water heater instead of a traditional one. They don’t store water, and heat water only on an as needed basis.

Don’t use drain cleaners if you can avoid it. Drain cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can cause your pipes to corrode if you overuse them. If your drain frequently blocks, then call a professional to see what the real problem is, and get it solved once and for all.

TIP! Choosing to purchase brass for your plumbing fixtures is an excellent choice if you are going to replace them. One main reason is that brass plumbing fixtures are incredibly durable.

Be certain that your toilet does not have a leak. A great way to do to this is to drop a couple of food coloring drops into your toilet tank. If colored water appears in your bowl soon after you put food coloring in the tank, your toilet is leaking. Fix leaks as soon as possible after you discover them.

TIP! If you have pipes made from copper, they can expand as hot water runs through them. Your pipes may no longer fit inside pipe hangers, they may grind against it, and it could damage them.

As the weather turns frosty, make sure faucets outside are not dripping or leaking. If they are, it is necessary to repair them before the arrival of freezing temperatures. Freezing water can and will crack pipes, whether they are made of copper, steel, or plastic. Even a tiny crack can leak enough water to flood your home.

TIP! Check out any tiles that are loose to see if there is damage from a leak. Loose tiles sometimes mean a leak needs to be fixed, so see if there is any “give” when you push against a tile.

A lot of people are intimidated by plumbing issues and think that even small problems will ruin their home. This can happen, but it doesn’t have to if you know one key piece of information. Always be sure to know where your water meter is and precisely how to turn off the water in the event of an emergency.

Drain Cleaners

TIP! Because plumbers are so expensive, investing in pricey tools in order to do the work yourself can be a good investment. There are a lot of videos online that teach you how to carry out basic plumbing repairs.

Choose drain cleaners wisely. Some drain cleaners contain chemicals that can hurt your pipes. Choose a drain cleaner that is well-known and whose label says it will not harm pipes. Your plumbing needs some forms of bacteria in order to work properly and the wrong chemicals can kill these good bacteria, as well as being toxic to people.

TIP! Maintenance should be performed regularly to prevent leaks from faucets and sinks. Up to 150 gallons of water a day can be wasted due to a leak so you need to continually check the pipes underneath for small leaks or moisture.

Preparation and plumbing education are what is needed to avoid plumbing mishaps. A homeowner who learns about plumbing will make wiser decisions and be able to avoid dangerous plumbing issues. Also, that savvy homeowner who researches everything and prepares for undertaking a plumbing issue before it really begins is better able to repair the problem more quickly and easily.

Related Posts