Having good working plumbing is an important to having a safe and healthy home. The tips will make it easy to take good care of your home.
If a plumbing project is in your future, know two things: what tools you have, and how you are supposed to use them. Use manuals and online sites to get informed before doing a plumbing project yourself. Before attempting any repairs, plan ahead, or you may make a costly mistake.
To prevent pipes from freezing, insulate all exterior pipes and be sure to keep your interior house temperature above freezing, even if the house is vacant. Pipes will freeze if they reach freezing temperatures. It could take some time in order for the pipes to thaw so that you can have running water. However, they might burst, leading to flooding and costly repairs.
Don’t use harsh chemicals such as toilet tablets in your toilet. These products may well remove odors, but they have the side effect of damaging the rubber in your toilet, which can prevent your toilet from functioning correctly.
Septic Tank
If you discover a problem with the garbage disposal, don’t ever reach into it with your hands to attempt to fix it. Even when the garbage disposal is turned off they can be dangerous. Go online and search for sketch of your disposal, or a troubleshooter.
Have a professional flush your septic tank every five years to keep it in prime condition. While you may find it costly to get your septic tank cleaned out, it will cost you much more to clean up any sewage backup or to repair or replace your septic tank.
Check the floor for soft areas around the toilet to determine floor damage. Sit on your toilet and sway across both feet to feel if there are any spots less firm than the others. Discovering this issue sooner can mean big savings for your checking account, as compared to finding out about it later.
If your toilet gets clogged, there is a low level of water in toilet, you can pour a bucket of hot water down the toilet, but be sure to pour it from a height that is waist level or above so you do not flood the bathroom. Repeat this procedure if necessary as the water goes back to a lower level.
Use strainers on all drains to keep foreign objects and debris from clogging drains. Clean your kitchen strainer often, particularly if you can see debris accumulating. Bathtubs should be equipped with strainers as well, and they too will need to be cleaned regularly.
Garbage Disposal
Don’t pour cooking grease, leftover frying fat or any oils down your sink drain. These substances will create clogs after cooling in your drain. This is very true for garbage disposal, since fat will make the blades run less quickly and efficiently. Make sure you dispose of oils away from the sink.
Never put your hands to try fixing your garbage disposal. Even an un-powered garbage disposal is turned off they can be dangerous.You can look online to get schematics or troubleshooting advice for the disposal that you have.
Make a schedule for plumbing work, so it occurs all at approximately the same time. You might be tempted to contact a plumber every time you face a small problem, but if you have problems repaired all at once, you will have time to save money for the fixes. Because plumbers generally round up to the nearest hour, this also allows you to save money. The time only gets rounded up once, rather than multiple times.
Pour equal parts baking soda and vinegar down your bathtub drain once a month. Plug up the drain and allow the chemical reaction takes place. Let it sit a few minutes, and then run boiling hot water down it. This procedure should be able to clear your pipes of accumulated hair and soap scum.
Maintain smooth functioning of the drain in your bathtub by dropping baking soda and then vinegar down it on a monthly basis. Cover it with a plug or rag, because a chemical reaction is sure to occur in your pipes. After waiting a few minutes, flush the drain with boiling water. This procedure will clear the hair and soap scum out of your pipes.
Ensure that the overflow holes don’t have any debris in your sinks are not clogged. Clear overflow holes periodically when doing periodic checks for other problems and things that need to be repaired.
If you see unwanted water that keeps draining into your dishwasher, the problem is most likely a hose running to your kitchen sink that was not correctly installed. The hose at the kitchen sink going to the dishwasher should follow a specific uphill, then downhill pattern. This prevents unwanted mixing of water between the sink and dishwasher.
It is not necessary to call a plumber for every problem. The preceding tips have given you the ability to take care of the smaller plumbing tasks around the home. By using the tips at home, you will not only be able to fix any plumbing emergencies, but you will also be able to reduce your costs because you won’t need to hire a professional plumber.
Clean out your dryer’s lint filter. This can prevent troubles, including fires. Inspect your lint trap every so often for tears or holes that could cause lint to go into your pipes, this could cause clogs or other problems you will have to deal with.
