It seems that plumbing problems often occur right after a new house is purchased. The majority of the time this happens in the kitchen or bathroom. Eventually, nearly every homeowner has to face one type of plumbing issue or another. Using the following tips will help you with plumbing issues.
Septic Tank
Have your septic tank cleaned every five years to keep it in prime condition. This stop sedimentary particles from accumulating in the tank, and in the worst cases, flooding your home or making the entire system to fail. Hiring a professional to pump out your septic tank is costly, but it is far preferable to the damages that could be incurred if the tank becomes backed-up or inoperative.
It’s a bad idea to makes use of toilet tablets composed of bleach or in the color blue, or in fact any one designed to remove odors. Both of these may help to eliminate odors from your toilet, but it can also damage the rubber parts of your toilet, causing it to not function probably, or even to break down completely.
Never put your hands in your garbage disposal to fix a problem. Garbage disposals pose a serious risk, even when flipped off. Try to find a diagram, or troubleshooting guide for your particular disposal on the Internet.
Use a strainer over your sink drain to catch food and other bits of material. Otherwise, you will likely get a clogged drain. Clean out the one in the kitchen whenever there’s something trapped there that shouldn’t be. Strainers placed in a bathtub can be cleaned periodically.
Garbage Disposal
You can greatly extend the life of your garbage disposal by regularly cleaning it. Keep your garbage disposal fresh and running by using dish soap, cherry pits and lemon rinds regularly.
To minimize potential problems with your toilet, avoid using it as a trash receptacle. Avoid flushing pads, cotton, towels, tissues or anything that cannot dissolve easily to avoid plugging the pipes. Don’t flush massive amounts of toilet paper at once, either. Most of the time, you shouldn’t need a lot of toilet paper to clean yourself; don’t use more than necessary. If you have an emergency that requires a lot of cleaning, flush toilet paper a little bit at a time instead of all at once.
Enzyme-based products are often superior to other options when your drains are clogged. These cleaners have natural bacteria in them, which turn sludge into liquid form that can be easily removed from your pipes. Some of the finest cleaners are enzyme cleaners.
Lint Trap
You should always clean your dryer’s lint trap. This can prevent troubles, including fires. Look over the lint trap to make sure there aren’t any rips or holes. This can cause problems like clogs.
To reduce your plumbing repair costs, use preventative maintenance measures. One major repair is a drain clog. Clogs in drains are often caused by buildups of hair. Stop the clog by covering your drains with screens to keep hair from going into the pipes. It is much easier to remove the hair from a screen than it is to get it out of a pipe.
Avoid using drain cleaners as much as possible. The chemicals found in drain cleaners are very corrosive, and can end up damaging your pipes if you use them too much. Rather, if you have a blocked drain, consider having a professional plumber come out to diagnose the cause.
You have not choice in the matter of what plumber is scheduled sometimes, but you should still research different plumbers online. If an insurance company is requiring you to use a certain plumber, doing a background check on him can put you on guard should he have a bad reputation.
As the cold winter weather approaches, make sure that your outside faucets are not leaking or dripping. Checking them before winter is the best time, so you can make any repairs before the temperature gets down to freezing. Regardless of what the pipes in your house are made out of, freezing water will cause them to crack. Even a small crack can cause a lot of damages to your home.
You should be aware of the location of the main valve for water cut-off on your property. The cut-off valve will generally be close to the water meter. Additionally, certain fixtures in your home, including sinks and toilets, may have individual cut-off valves. You will want to make your family aware of the location of each valve, and add markings that give directions on how to shut each one off whenever an emergency arises.
Plumbing is not only related to water, there are many other skills required to be a good plumber. One of the most common things that a plumber works on is fixing water lines.
Because plumbing is a mysterious and hidden field to a lot of homeowners, they are willing to take any claim and any bill from a plumber at face value, no matter how ridiculous it is. If you own your home, you should definitely be sure to learn enough to understand what the professional is accomplishing. It will be more difficult to put one over on you if you become a better-educated client.
Not being prepared for plumbing issues can prove to be troublesome. All homeowners should have at least a basic understanding on plumbing tools and improvement tips. The next time something goes wrong, you’ll be ready.