It is important that your plumbing works properly when you are looking to manage your home. However, sometimes your plumbing will need attention and calling a plumber may not be a viable option due to costs or time of the year. The following article offers some helpful tips on fixing and maintaining your plumbing at home.
If your water pipe freezes, switch on the nearest faucet tap to that pipe so that water can exit when the pipe thaws. This will relive some of the pressure, and could prevent cracks from appearing.
If you have a clogged toilet with the water level very low, and plunging it isn’t working, it’s possible to resolve this by pouring warm water from a bucket directly into the toilet bowl from about waist level. Do this as often as necessary if the water level dips back down again.
To ensure garbage disposal lasts long in your home, be sure you keep it cleaned regularly. By regularly using a mixture of dish soap, cherry pits and citrus rinds, you can ensure that your disposal runs smoothly and smells as fresh as one that is brand new.
To keep your garbage disposal working at its best, use plenty of cold water when you turn it on. The cold water helps the blades that are inside stay sharp, and will keep your disposal running smoothly. Avoid using hot water, as this will liquefy grease, causing it to build up in the drain and obstruct your pipes.
If you have any water in your dishwasher that should not be there, check the connection on your kitchen sink. The hose from your sink to your dishwasher needs to go upward before going back down so that there is no mixing between fixtures.
If you want avoid future issues with your toilet, don’t treat it like a trash can. Do not flush sanitary pads, paper towels, cotton balls, tissues, diapers or other materials, as these items do not dissolve and could cause clogs. You will also want to use the least amount of toilet paper as required.
Make sure a new shower head is of high quality. It’s common to think it’s fine to buy the one that is the cheapest. Cheap shower heads have a tendency to break easily, so make sure you get what you pay for.
Lint Trap
Always remember to keep your dryer’s lint trap clean. This can prevent a lot of problems, including a fire. 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.
Frozen pipes can cause a lot of damage and cost you money. They can generally be prevented, though. If you have any pipes outside, have them properly insulated. In addition, as the weather turns colder, make it a point to drain and detach your hoses. Finally, turn off the faucet located outside. This can save some serious money on pipe repairs over time.
There’s no reason to run water while running your garbage disposal. It is assumed that food will go down more smoothly if the water is running, though in reality that does nothing good. The moisture can actually bond the trash to your disposal, harming things further.
Valves that are not used often can get fused together. Maintain the water valves every so often with a qualtiy penetrating oil, turning each of them every now and then to prevent them from sticking.
Everyone in your family should know exactly where your home’s main water shut off valve is and how to use it. The cut-off valve will generally be close to the water meter. Fixtures, such as sinks or toilets, may also be equipped with individual cut-off valves. Make sure the entire family is familiar with these valves, and mark the shut-off position for ease of use.
Plumbing problems cause actual nightmares for some folks, since they assume these situations can actually devastate their home. This can be avoided if you are aware of one thing. Knowing where the water valve is, and how to close it off, could be what saves your home from flooding one day.
Consider drain cleaning products and their active ingredients carefully. A number of them have strong chemical ingredients that damage pipes. Choose a product advertised as being gentle on pipes. Some chemicals will kill the bacteria your plumbing system needs to function properly and could even be harmful to humans.
Use chemicals that are designed to clean your drain with caution. These products are efficient, but extremely harmful. If you must use them, do so while wearing protective clothing like gloves on your hands and shirts with sleeves long enough to cover your arms.
If you can see water dripping in or near your walls, shut off the water and call a professional right away. This may be an indication of a serious plumbing problem. These problems could potentially cause flooding as well as mold and mildew, which may be harmful to your health.
Plumbing Fixtures
If you are in need of plumbing fixtures, you should strongly consider going with brass ones. Brass models pose the advantages of durability and longevity. Brass fixtures look a lot nicer than many of the other types of plumbing fixtures that you can purchase. You can find these fixture in most hardware stores.
As you can see, there are many tips and tricks that you can use to fix the plumbing in your home. By implementing these tips, you will save money since you won’t need to contact a professional plumber.