It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to fixing your plumbing. There are many different tools and equipment that will need to be purchased along with a lot of directions and regulations that need to be followed. These tips will help you accomplish the unthinkable and establish control over your plumbing once again!
If you have noisy pipes that sound like hammering or squeaking, this is something that is easy to fix. You must anchor all exposed pipes. Pipes that are contained within the floors, walls and ceilings may need to be attended by a professional plumber.
To deal with a frozen pipe, turn on the faucet closest to the pipe. This gives the water a place to exit as the pipe defrosts. Doing so provides pressure relief, and might spare you the damage of a burst pipe.
Septic Tank
Your septic tank should be pumped out at least once every five years if you want it to stay in optimum working order. This will stop any buildup in your septic tank and prevent any horrible issues. Getting your septic tank drained occasionally may be expensive, but it’s dirt cheap compared to the cost of repairing a damaged septic system or the cleanup cost when raw sewage backs up into your home.
If your toilet gets clogged, your plunger is not fixing it, and your water level inside of the toilet appears low, you can sometimes fix the problem by dumping warm water into your toilet at waist level (or maybe even a little higher). You can repeat this procedure once the water returns to a low level.
Don’t put fat, grease and other oils into the drain. These substances will create clogs after cooling in your drain. They’ll also muck up your garbage disposal and cause it to be less efficient. Dump your oil outside or in a container that you throw out with the regular trash.
Garbage Disposal
Cleaning your in-sink garbage disposal can extend its lifetime significantly. Cleaning can be done with a variety of things you may already have in your home, such as dish-washing soap, the rinds of lemons, or the pits of cherries. When you create a regular cleaning schedule, you can make sure your garbage disposal runs in tip-top shape and smells fresh and like new.
Ensure overflow holes don’t have any debris in them. These holes come into use if the skin overflows. Things can get problematic if they are clogged. Take the time to clean out the overflow holes as you go through your house doing your regular checks for various issues.
If you’ve got a shower head to replace, get a good quality replacement. Some people think that one shower head is like any other, so decide on price alone. However, cheap parts don’t work as well and break down more quickly.
Lint Trap
Clean the lint trap in your dryer. This can prevent various problems, including a fire. Regularly check your dryer’s lint trap to see if it has any tears or holes that could potentially damage your dryer, and clog up your plumbing.
If you want to save a lot of time and money on plumbing repairs, prevention is the best weapon you have in your arsenal. Clogs present one of the top reasons for needing a major plumbing repair. Clogs in drains are often caused by buildups of hair. You can prevent this from occurring by using a drain cover or a screen that is meant to keep the hair out of the drain and pipes. It is easier to take hair off a screen than to clear it from a pipe.
If you have frozen pipes that can be a very costly repair. Fortunately, such damage is easy to prevent. Insulate your outside pipes. And when the temperatures start dropping, you will want to drain your hoses and disconnect them, and then turn off all of the outside faucets. If you take these preventative measures, you will save money in the long run.
If there is grout stuck in your line, it is most likely going to be a lost cause attempting to clean it all yourself. You can try dislodging some of the blockage which will open up the line. This works best with plastic pipes as opposed to metal. However, this will most likely require a professional to do the job.
Clean out plugs can be extremely tricky to remove; they tend to stick easily. Here are two ways you can use to deal with a stubborn plug. First, try using a chisel with a hammer to get the fitting loosened. If the plug itself is expendable, chiseling it into pieces and extracting them can work, too.
While you may not be able to choose which plumber is assigned to your job, you can still look the person up 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.
Be certain that your toilet does not have a leak. You can do this by coloring the water in your tank. Look at the bowl carefully. If you notice colored water in several seconds, then you know your toilet is leaking badly, and you need to fix this as soon as possible.
As intimidating as plumbing can be, the task usually isn’t as intimidating as it looks. It just has a lot of basics to cover. All you need to do to start is do your homework, common sense, and best method to go about doing your job.