Knowing what you are doing is essential if you plan on undertaking any plumbing projects in your home. Besides dealing with natural disasters, a major plumbing problem can be one of the most challenging parts of home ownership. The good news is that those who own their homes can take action to safeguard themselves so that issues do not occur.
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 relieve the pipe pressure that could cause bursting and further home damage.
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. Having your septic pumped will keep sediments from settling to the bottom of the septic tank and causing the tank to malfunction or backup. 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.
Wait until a job is done before you pay for it. You may need to make a small down payment before the job has begun, but you never want to pay the entire amount until you are certain the job was completed to your satisfaction. This ensures that the plumber fully completes the job before getting paid.
Inspect around the toilets for softness in the floors to see if any damage has occurred. You can check for softness or weakness in the floor by placing one foot on each side of the toilet and rocking back and forth. You can save money by noticing and treating this problem as early as possible.
You should put a strainer over your drains to catch anything that could clog your drain up. Every time you have large particles in the strainer of the kitchen sink, it should be cleaned thoroughly. You should clean out the strainer in your bathtub often.
Do not put any oil, fat, or greasy foods or products in your sink. These substances will harden as soon as they cool down, and clog your drains. Especially if you operate a garbage disposal, the fat causes blades to be less efficient. Get rid of any fat or oils outside or in the garbage can.
Set up a time when all plumbing work will be completed at one time. Of course, our natural inclination is to handle problems as they arise, but it helps to get everything done at once. Even if you only have one noticeable problem, you can still get a plumber to inspect other areas. Doing this can also save you money, since it’s common for plumbers to charge hourly rates. It’ll condense the total amount of time they need to spend to something you can more easily afford.
When running your garbage disposal, always use a lot of cold water. Cold water keeps blades sharp and allows for smoother disposal. Hot water is not recommended because of what it does to greasy products.
An incorrectly installed hose from the kitchen sink to the dishwasher can cause unwanted water to drain into the dishwasher. The hose going from the dishwasher to the sink needs to angle uphill before going back downhill to prevent water from both being mixed.
A sink with poor water pressure can often be corrected by cleaning the built-up sediment out of the aerator. Disassemble the fixture to remove the aerator, and then scrub it with vinegar and a small brush. Rinse off the aerator then reassemble and reattach to the faucet. This should raise the water pressure nicely because anything that was inside of the aerator will be removed.
If you have grout stuck in the line, it’s futile to try and clean it out yourself. The grout can be broken up however it is not an easy task to do by yourself. This works much better if your home has pipes made of plastic. This is a tough problem, however, that very often requires professional intervention.
Check to see if you have toilet leaks. Try putting drops of food coloring into the tank. Then, observe the bowl. If the water turns the same color as the food coloring, you know there is some sort of leak that must be fixed right away.
If there is sewage backing up in your toilet, it is probably due to blockage in a branch between the sewage and main lines. If you have tried and cannot remove the blockage, you will need a plumber to come to your home and run the plumbing snake down into the toilet to clear the blockage.
Rarely used valves can fuse together. Be sure to give them a shot of penetrating oil and a turn from time-to-time to make sure they don’t freeze up.
Check with the Department of Consumer Affairs when shopping for a good plumbing contractor. This way, you can see that their licenses are valid and the status of any complaints that have been made about their work. If they don’t have a current license, you don’t want them working for you.
Having a basic knowledge and being prepared are the first steps to successful plumbing repairs. Knowing the basics of maintaining good plumbing can help a homeowner to make sound decisions. It’s also true that a homeowner can fix problems smoothly and quickly if he prepares for potential trouble.