Water is the source of life, but it can be the bane of the frustrated homeowner who has to deal with plumbing problems. There aren’t many ways to destroy a house faster than a major plumbing problem.
Noisy pipes is an easy do-it-yourself project. Exposed pipes need to be properly anchored. You are going to need a professional if the pipes will be located in the ceiling, walls, or the floors.
To prevent pipes from freezing, maintain a constant temperature in your home above freezing, and insulate external pipes. Your pipes can freeze if the air around them fall below freezing. It may take time for thawing to occur so that you can have running water. However, frozen pipes often burst, and that could make a mess and result in a big repair bill.
You should clean your septic tank every five years! Doing so avoids sediment build up, so that you don’t have any kind of septic system backup. Hiring a professional to pump out your septic tank is costly, but it is far preferable to the damages that could be incurred if the tank becomes backed-up or inoperative.
Do not pay your plumber until they finish the problem is fixed. You may have to put money down before they start working, but you should never have to pay in full until after everything has been correctly finished. You should know the plumber completed everything that they said they would before you pay him.
If your garbage disposal is not working correctly, you should not try to fix it by putting your hand in through the drain. A garbage disposal can be dangerous, even when it is not on. Use the Internet to find a diagram of your device, or a troubleshooter.
Knowing all your different tools to use and how to operate them is essential to any aspiring plumber. Be sure to have a plan ahead of time before trying any type of repair, because it can be expensive to fix mistakes.
Check the floors in your bathroom for any give in order to be sure that there is no damage in the floors. Put a foot on each side of the toilet and put weight on each side, if you have any give you may have damage. When you have a problem like this to deal with, the earlier you detect it, the less expensive it will be to take care of.
If your toilet gets clogged, your plunger is not fixing it, and a plunger is not doing the trick, 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.
If your home has a well for water and there are pink or orange stains in the sinks and tubs, this could be due to high iron content in your water. You can combat this by using a water softener. You can either purchase it at a store, or hire a company to come to your house to set it up for you.
Use strainers on all drains to keep foreign objects and debris from getting through. The bathtub’s strainers need to cleaned out as needed.
A great way to knock out your plumbing issues in one shot is to schedule everything at once. You might want to call every time you need a tiny issue fixed with your plumbing, but if you know the system is bad, if you just call once, you can start saving for the major repair before you call. Doing this can also save you money, since it’s common for plumbers to charge hourly rates. It’ll condense the total amount of time they need to spend to something you can more easily afford.
The keys to avoiding plumbing problems is great preparation and education. A homeowner is likely to make good decisions and avoid plumbing disasters if he bothers to learn some things about the subject. Also, homeowners who dig up information about a problem beforehand are much more likely to solve the problem faster and easier.
Keep your bathtub in good shape by using a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar down its drain monthly. Cover the drain with an old rag, because there will be a chemical reaction taking place inside the pipes. Pause a few minutes, and then follow the mixture with boiling water. This method should clear your pipes of accumulated hair and soap scum.
