Now is the right time to become more knowledgeable about plumbing. You might have wanted to learn these skills before, but never had the time to do so.
Noisy pipes is an easy do-it-yourself project. Exposed pipes need to be properly anchored. Enlisting the aid of a professional may be necessary if any of the pipes are located in the floors, walls, or ceiling.
Noisy pipes is an easy problem to fix. You will need to anchor any exposed pipe.
It is a advisable to have a septic tank pumped every five years to keep it in peak condition. This keeps the sediment from building in the tank, which can cause septic tank failure or backup into your house. The cost to have your tank pumped might be a little steep, but it sure beats the alternative of dealing with sewage in your home or on your property.
To eliminate the possibility of having frozen pipes, insulate all exterior pipes and be sure to keep your interior house temperature above freezing, and be certain to adequately insulate those pipes that are out in the weather. Your plumbing can freeze if temperatures around it is below freezing. It may take time to thaw so you can have running water. However, they might burst, as well – making a huge plumbing bill.
It is important that you do not pay a plumber in full, until all of the work is complete and satisfactory. You may be required to put some money down before a job is started, but never pay the total cost until you know the job has been completed correctly. This ensures that the plumber will not abandon the job midway, and will also care about the quality of their work more.
If you have a water pipe that freezes, turn on the tap to the faucet nearest the pipe so that the water has somewhere to exit as the pipe thaws. This will relive some of the pressure, which would reduce the damage done to your house.
Put the strainer on top of drains to catch any food that would go down and cause a clog. Your kitchen sink strainer needs cleaning every time something big gets stuck in it. Those in the bathtub should be cleaned out periodically, as needed.
Septic Tank Pumped
Water that leaves behind pink or orange tinged stains has an excessive amount of iron. You will need a water softener in order to take care of this problem, which you could purchase at a local store, or hire someone to go to your home and fix it for you.
You should have your septic tank pumped once every five years! Although having a septic tank pumped costs money, it is nothing compared to what you will have to spend on cleaning up a backup of sewage or repairing or replacing your septic system.
Make sure all the work on your plumbing is scheduled at one time. You might be tempted to call the plumber every time you need something fixed, but if you wait and hire the plumber for a single visit, you can save up money for repairs. Also, combining smaller jobs into one larger job lets the plumber finish his work faster and therefore saves you money.
If your toilet happens to be clogged, your plunger is not fixing it, you can pour a bucket of hot water down the toilet, you can sometimes fix the problem by dumping warm water into your toilet at waist level (or maybe even a little higher). Do this as often as necessary if the water level gets too low.
Ensure overflow holes don’t have any debris in them. If your sink starts to overflow, the water will run into the overflow holes, this might not be a huge issue, unless they are clogged. Periodically clear out the overflow holes when doing your other checks for things that may need repaired.
Avoid placing fat, fat, and other oils into your drain. This is especially damaging to garbage disposal; the fat can make the blades go slower and less freely. Make certain you dispose of all oils away from the sink.
If you operate the disposal on your sink, run plenty of cool water. Cold water will allow for the food particles to be properly disposed of while keeping the blades sharp. Grease will stay solid and go through your drain with cold water; you don’t want gooey grease in your pipes.
Having knowledge about plumbing is very valuable. You will be a great resource to your family and friends, and potentially save yourself quite a bit of money, as well. You hopefully understand some plumbing basics now and had fun learning them.
Install low flush toilets and energy efficient shower heads and faucets to reduce your utility bills. The shower uses most of the hot water. By installing energy-efficient shower heads for a few extra dollars, you can save up to $100 or more a year per shower head in your house.
