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Ways You Can Plumb Your Own Home

TIP! Having your septic tank pumped out on a regular basis will keep it functioning properly. This prevents sediment from building up in the tank and causing a backup into your home or causing the failure of the septic system itself.

If you are like most people, your ammeter plumbing skills leave something to be desired. Do you want to improve your plumbing skills? If you have decided to learn more about how to better maintain your home’s plumbing, read on for some ideas. The tips that are listed in this article contain advice on what you can do to make your own home plumbing more efficient.

TIP! Avoid using any tablets that are meant to reduce odor in and around your toilet. These may deodorize, but they can seriously damage the rubber pieces in the toilet, causing poor functionality or even complete breakdown of the fixture.

To avoid frozen pipes in your home, never allow the temperature in your house to drop below freezing and insulate any pipes that are exposed to the elements. Obviously, if it is below freezing outdoors, the pipes will be subjected to the same temperatures. Even in the best case scenario, it will take hours for thawing to happen before you have running water again. The worst case scenario is a busted pipe and a costly repair.

TIP! If your garbage disposal is not working correctly, you should not try to fix it by putting your hand in through the drain. Garbage disposals can be very dangerous, so take caution when fixing it, even while it’s turned off.

If you encounter a problem with your garbage disposal, resist the urge to reach in and fix it with your bare hands. Even if the disposal is turned off, it can still be hazardous. Try to find a diagram, or troubleshooting guide for your particular disposal on the Internet.

TIP! Don’t put things like fat, oil or grease down your drains. They can clog your drains once they cool down.

If you have well water and discover orange or pink discoloration on your bathtub or sink, you probably have iron in your water supply. A water softener can filter out unnecessary minerals, and leave you with clean, usable water.

Overflow Holes

TIP! Each month, treat your drains by pouring one cup of baking soda down it, and then follow that with a cup of regular white vinegar. Cover with a rag or plug, as a chemical reaction will occur in the pipes.

Regularly check your overflow holes to make sure they’re not clogged. Overflow holes divert water when a sink starts to fill up. That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it can be a big problem if there is a clog. Clear the overflow holes periodically when you are doing your periodic checks for other problems and things that need to be repaired.

TIP! If you need to replace your shower head, make sure that you buy a new one that is high quality. Many times, people think it is okay to buy the cheapest shower head that they can find.

You can drastically reduce your utility bills with the installation of shower heads designed for better efficiency. Most of your water bills comes from the water you use to shower. Water-conserving shower heads are relatively affordable, but using them can save you a great deal of money within a single year.

TIP! Frozen pipes can do very extensive and expensive damage. It can also be easily prevented.

Make sure to clean your dryer’s lint trap. This can prevent fires and malfunctions. See to it that you look at the lint trap and find out if it has tears or holes in it that could cause lint to go inside your pipes. This could lead to clogs or other problems in the future.

TIP! Clean the buildup of sediment from your aerator to increase your water pressure if it’s low. Disassemble the fixture to remove the aerator, and then scrub it with vinegar and a small brush.

If you take care of your plumbing, you will have lower plumbing bills. Clogged drains are a major problem that often requires professional help. Drains are easily clogged by 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. Because the hair is at a place where you can remove it, it saves you from having to call a plumber out to your home.

TIP! If possible, try not to use drain cleaners. Drain cleaners use abrasive chemicals that are not only harmful to you but also to your pipes.

Frozen pipes can be a disaster and cause you so much money. However, most of the time, you can prevent this from happening. The first concern is making sure that all water lines that run outside of your house are fully and sufficiently insulated. Also, when it starts to get colder, drain and disconnect your hoses and turn off the outside faucet. This will keep you from paying too much to your plumber.

TIP! Sometimes you have no choice in what plumber you have scheduled, but you can still research them online. You can use customer feedback to prepare for the plumber that the insurance company has assigned you.

If you need to hire a plumber, make sure you check them out before you give them the job. Make sure the plumber is qualified to handle the job or more problems may occur. Find some reviews of your local plumbers, or ask around to see if anyone has any recommendations or warnings.

TIP! Get more information about a plumber before hiring him or her. Some plumbers just don’t know how to handle certain tasks which could make the problem worse.

Check your toilet for leaks. An excellent method of checking this is by dropping a few food coloring drops in the tank of the toilet. If colored water appears in your bowl soon after you put food coloring in the tank, your toilet is leaking. Fix leaks as soon as possible after you discover them.

TIP! If you start to have sewage backup inside your toilet, it is because of blockage that is inside the branch line which connects the sewage line and the main line. You can run a device through this called a snake to try to clean up the clog.

Temperatures are dropping, so check your outside faucets for dripping in order to prevent a freezing nightmare. If there is any leaking or dripping, this needs to be fixed before the temperature falls below freezing. Freezing water can cause pressure to build up, causing your pipes to crack, or burst, regardless if your pipes are constructed with steel, plastic, or metal. Even the most minute crack can cause a big enough leak to create flooding or water damage and mold in your home.

TIP! As the winter months encroach on your home, check your outdoor faucets for dripping and leaking. If the faucets have these problems, they will have to be repaired before temperatures reach the freezing point.

You should always know where the main water cut-off valve is located on your property. The water meter should be located in its vicinity. Usually toilets, sinks and other fixtures have cut-off valves of their own. Make sure every member of the family knows where the values are located, and mark them so they are easy to turn off in case the need arises.

TIP! Main water cut off valve is a very important piece of information you should be aware of, and you should know exactly where it is. You can locate a water meter close to it.

After this bit of light reading, you may even find yourself optimistic in beginning your plumbing work. Hopefully, these new things yield results that work for you. Keep learning until you know everything possible to make you comfortable about plumbing.