Every homeowner will run into questions about plumbing, every now and then. It’s useful to be able to fix minor problems on our own, and it’s great to know some general tips about plumbing maintenance. These tips and hints will give you a little enlightenment on both ends of the spectrum, thus giving you the choice to proceed as you need with your plumbing demands.
To prevent frozen pipes, always keep the living spaces in your house above freezing, even if you aren’t home. Any exposed pipes need to be insulated against the outdoor temperatures. The pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature drops below freezing. In the very least, you could lose running water inside while waiting for the pipes to unfreeze. However, they might burst, which will cause an enormous mess and repair bill.
Do not use harsh chemicals to clean or treat your toilet. These products may well remove odors, but they have the side effect of damaging the rubber in your toilet, which can prevent your toilet from functioning correctly.
Garbage Disposal
If your garbage disposal stops working, never try to fix it by reaching down with your hands. Garbage disposals always pose a possible threat, even when powered off or non-working all together. Locate a diagram of the garbage disposal, or some sort of troubleshooter, online.
Use a strainer over your sink drain to catch food and other bits of material. Otherwise, you will likely get a clogged drain. Kitchen sink strainers should be cleaned every time they collect large food particles. Clean out the bathtup strainer every few days before it becomes clogged.
Putting a cup of any kind of baking soda followed with a cup of white vinegar each month will keep your drain running smoothly. Afterward, place a washcloth or towel over the top of the drain, to keep the chemical reactions contained. Pause a few minutes, and then follow the mixture with boiling water. This should help clear your pipes of accumulated hair and soap scum.
Ensure that the overflow holes in your sinks are not clogged. These passages allow your sink to fill up without overflowing onto your floor, and if they’re blocked that can cause you a major headache. When checking for potential problems and repairs, you should also remove obstructions from the overflow holes.
Having water leaking into the dishwasher, however annoying, is luckily an easy fix. The hose that runs from the kitchen sink to the dishwasher is not installed properly, and can be corrected quickly. The hose from your sink to your dishwasher needs to go upward before going back down so that there is no mixing between fixtures.
Don’t skimp on quality when it comes to replacing a shower head. Choosing the cheapest shower head in the store can end up costing you more in the long run. The problem about this is they aren’t sturdy and they tend to break a lot easier.
Lint Trap
Be sure to clean your dryer’s lint trap. By keeping it clean, you can prevent fires and other problems. 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.
Cold weather can cause expensive plumbing repairs if your pipes freeze. This can usually be prevented. First, insulate your outside pipes well. Before winter hits, turn off the water to the outside faucet and drain and store all of your hoses. This will keep you from paying too much to your plumber.
Over time, sediment buildup may lead to problems with low water pressure. Often, this problem can be addressed by thoroughly cleaning out the aerator. Remove the aerator, take it apart, and clean with a small brush dipped in vinegar. Rinse the aerator, reassemble it and reattach it to the faucet. This will improve the water pressure by clearing out blockages in the aerator.
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 can break the grout up and make it go further down the line. This works best if your pipes are plastic instead of metal. However, you may never be fully rid of the grout without the assistance of a professional.
You do not have to turn the water on when you are putting things in the garbage disposal. Water does nothing to make the garbage disposal work more efficiently, even though many people seem to think that it makes the process smoother. In contrast, it could actually cause garbage or waste to stick to the insides of the disposal and do more damage than good.
Check with the Department of Consumer Affairs when shopping for a good plumbing contractor. These departments offer current information on licensing status and open complaints cases. Unless a contractor’s license is in favorable standing and up-to-date, you wouldn’t want to work with them.
It’s key that you are educated before a problem happens. In addition, remember that preventative maintenance can go a long way in avoiding problems, to begin with. Follow the advice offered in this article, and be ready to take care of all of your future plumbing needs.