Trying to learn about plumbing can be difficult, but it can be learned through conducting the right research. This article offers some beginner-friendly advice for maintaining the plumbing in and around your own home.
If you don’t want plumbing in your home frozen, then don’t let the inside temperature go under the freezing mark, and make sure any pipes that have no protection from the elements are thoroughly insulated. The pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature drops below freezing. If you are lucky, you will only experience a minor inconvenience until the pipes thaw. However, they might burst, which will cause an enormous mess and repair bill.
You plumbing experiences will go much smoother if you know your tools, and have the knowledge of how to use each one. Read every manual, and use the Internet and library to research the projects that you plan on doing. Have a sound plan going into any do it yourself repair attempt, since mistakes will cost you dearly in money, time and stress.
Never put your hands in your garbage disposal to fix a problem. Garbage disposals can be dangerous, even if they are powered off. Hire a professional, or at least find your owner’s manual to look at a diagram of the disposal. Many owner’s manuals are available online, and may even contain interactive troubleshooters.
Put strainers in the bottoms of your drains to stop any clogging agents from escaping down the drain. 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. They might be in liquid form, but after they cool off, they will solidify and make a clog in your drain pipe. If the sink has a garbage disposal, it will also make the blades less efficient. Pour the grease and oil into a can to cool, put it in the trash.
If you notice orange or pink stains in your bathroom fixtures, this is because of the iron in your water. Water softener can help this problem, and you can buy that at a store. Alternatively, you can hire someone to handle it.
Keep your bathtub drain running well by pouring a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain each month. Cover it with a plug or rag, since a chemical reaction should happen in the pipes. After giving the mixture time to work, flush it out by running boiling water through the drain. This simple solution can break up clogs caused by everything from hair to soap scum.
Overflow Holes
Do special checks on your sink overflow holes to ensure they are not becoming clogged. Overflow holes drain water if a sink begins to overfill, so they need to be clear at all times. When checking for potential problems and repairs, you should also remove obstructions from the overflow holes.
You should always put plenty of cold water through your garbage disposal while it is running. Cold water helps the blades stay sharp and keeps the disposal running smoothly. Hot water liquifies grease and causes it to buildup in the drain, causing clogs in the pipes.
To keep possible toilet problems as small as possible, you should prevent using it like it’s a trash can. Avoid flushing pads, cotton, towels, tissues or anything that cannot dissolve easily to avoid plugging the pipes. Use the least amount of toilet paper that you can; use just as much as necessary to properly clean yourself.
If you have to replace any of your shower heads, make sure that the replacement is the best one you can afford. Most times, people tend to think that it is alright to purchase the most inexpensive shower head they could find. However, cheap parts don’t work as well and break down more quickly.
Drain Cover
The best way to avoid plumbing bills is to prevent problems before they happen. Clogs can be a major cause of plumbing problems. Drains can be 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. Most objects will not fall through the drain cover, and even hair usually won’t make it through.
Clean the buildup of sediment from your aerator to increase your water pressure if it’s low. Take the aerator apart and clean it with a brush and some vinegar. After rinsing the aerator, put it back together and reinstall it. This should remove any obstructions that were in the aerator, thereby improving your water pressure.
It is important not to run water while using a garbage disposal. It is popular belief that running water will help the garbage disposal work, but this is mistaken. Actually, the water can make the garbage stick to the disposal, which can lead to more damage.
Stay away from drain cleaners if possible. Drain cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can cause your pipes to corrode if you overuse them. If your drain frequently blocks, then call a professional to see what the real problem is, and get it solved once and for all.
Inspect your toilet regularly to ensure that it isn’t leaking. The easiest way to perform this test is by placing a few food coloring drops in your toilet’s upper tank. Watch your toilet bowl, if you see some colored water, you will see that you are dealing with a issue that should be dealt with.
Because people are often ignorant of what plumbing involves, they’re happy to pay whatever price a plumber asks of them. If you are a homeowner, then you should be sure to educate yourself enough to at least understand what a professional is doing. By educating yourself, you’ll equip yourself to avoid scams or unreasonably high prices when hiring plumbers.
Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? As with many home improvement topics, plumbing encompasses a great deal of different topics. With the right information, you can tackle some of the most common home plumbing problems. Hopefully, the tips above have given that to you.