If you know how to maintain your plumbing, it will be helpful in the future. But, there will be times when the plumbing in your home will need some work and professionals are out of reach. This article lays out some effective tips for repairing and maintaining your plumbing.
If you possess pipes that are alive with the sound of squeaking or hammering, you have an issue that is easily corrected. Exposed pipes need to be anchored. Pipes that are contained within the floors, walls and ceilings may need to be attended by a professional plumber.
Frozen Pipes
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. If the temperature surrounding these pipes is below the freezing point, your pipes could freeze. In the best situation, it can take hours for frozen pipes to thaw and water to run freely again. The worst case would be that they burst, creating water damage and a big repair bill.
If your toilet will not flush, and there is very little water in the basin, try to fix the issue by dumping warm water in the bowl from around your waist line. Do this as often as necessary if the water level dips back down again.
Never reach into your garbage disposal with bare hands, even if there is a serious problem with it. Garbage disposals are dangerous, even when turned off. Try to find a diagram, or troubleshooting guide for your particular disposal on the Internet.
Don’t throw trash down your toilet. Doing so can clog the drain and cause plumbing problems. For example, don’t flush sanitary pads or diapers down your toilet. These items can clog the pipes. As well, keep your toilet paper usage to as little as possible.
Lint Trap
Be sure to clean your dryer’s lint trap. By keeping it clean, you can prevent fires and other problems. Check your lint trap for holes to make sure the lint is not going in your plumbing system.
If you want to save a lot of time and money on plumbing repairs, prevention is the best weapon you have in your arsenal. Drain clogs are a common plumbing issue and sometimes expensive to repair when they are not addressed promptly. Hair can clog drains. Stop hair from going down drains with a drain cover or screen designed for this purpose. Getting the hair off the screen is much simpler than removing it from the pipe.
Cold weather can cause expensive plumbing repairs if your pipes freeze. It can also be easily prevented. Find out if all of your outdoor pipes are properly insulated. When wintertime comes, disconnect and drain your hoses and shut off outside faucets. Doing this could help save lots of cash related to plumbing repair bills.
If your home has low water pressure, you can often fix the problem by cleaning out the aerators on your fixtures. First, you should remove and disassemble the aerator. Next, clean it with a brush that has been dipped in white vinegar. Rinse it and put it back on the faucet. Removing obstacles in aerators should improve the water pressure.
A good tip to use when using your garbage disposal is to leave the water turned off. It is a common misconception that water will aid in flushing the food down the drain. Some things can stick to the disposal, and cause it to become damaged beyond repair.
There are two ways to remove clean out plugs. You can use a hammer and a chisel to attempt to make the fitting looser. Your only other choice is chiseling directly through the actual plug itself.
Be certain that your toilet does not leak. A simple way to check this is to put a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. Keep your eyes on the toilet bowl, and if the colored water seeps into the bowl, you know that there is an issue with your toilet that you will need to take care of soon.
A sewage backup into the toilet is caused by problems often deep within the sewage line. When your personal efforts can’t deal with such a clog, your only option is to have the line snaked out by a professional plumber.
The Department of Consumer Affairs is a great place to check if you need a plumbing contractor. You should verify that they hold a valid licence and look over any bad feedback filed against them. They need to have a valid license, or they should not do any work in homes.
Plumbing can be a nightmare, because it can cause a lot of damage to a home. Luckily, there is an easy solution to avoid a disaster. If you know how to locate the water register for your home, then you can easily prevent water damage.
Water heaters often have a pipe that reaches from the drain pipe and this must be reconnected during installation of a new unit. This is probably the re-circulation pipe. It is handy for enabling the most efficient water usage.
There is no shortage of amateurs in the plumbing field, so if you have the time and resources, consider adding an apprentice to your roster. This will not just give you an inexpensive helping hand, it will also allow you to show an interested person the ins and outs of plumbing.
If your home has copper pipes, when you are running hot water, they will tend to expand a little. They can slip from their hangers and make noise or even cause damage. The pipe should be taped where it meets the hanger to keep this from happening.
As you can see, there are many tips and tricks that you can use to fix the plumbing in your home. Start using these tips at home to keep your plumbing running smoothly, repair your own plumbing emergencies, and save money by eliminating the need to hire a professional plumber.