Having good working plumbing is an important to having a safe and healthy home. This article will give you maintain and fix your own plumbing.
Don’t let your house temperature drop to below freezing and make sure to insulate anything that is exposed to the outside elements to prevent frozen pipes. The pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature drops below freezing. It may take time to thaw so that you can have running water. But, more importantly, the pipes can burst, which will cause a huge mess and big repair bill.
You should clean your septic tank every five years for best performance. Although having a septic tank pumped costs money, it will cost a lot more having to clean sewage backup or having to fix or replace a septic tank.
If your toilet happens to be clogged, and the plunger is not working, and your water level inside of the toilet appears low, you may be able to resolve the problem by pouring a bucket of warm water into the toilet from waist level or higher. Do this as often as necessary if the water level gets too low.
If your water pipe has frozen, start water running in the faucet closest to the frozen pipe. This will give excess water somewhere to drain as the ice in the pipe thaws. This reduces pressure to keep the pipe from bursting, which could prevent a big mess in your home.
Don’t put things like fat, leftover frying fat or any oils down your sink drain. This is especially damaging to garbage disposal; the fat can make the blades turn more slowly and less freely. Make sure you dispose of all oils in other places other than the sink.
If your home uses well water and orange or pink stains become noticeable in your bathtub or in other fixtures, this is because of iron in your water. This is fixed by using water softener, which can be bought at a store, or have a company come out to your house and take care of it for you.
Don’t pay a plumber midway through the job. You may need to pay some money in the beginning, though you should not pay the full cost until you can be certain that the job was done correctly. You want to make sure that the plumber completed everything that they said they would before they get your money.
Pour equal parts baking soda and vinegar down your bathtub drain once a month. Plug the drain and allow the chemical reaction takes place. Wait for a little while, and then use boiling water to flush. This process should open up the pipes of accumulated hair and soap scum.
Shower Heads
Make sure there is a strainer covering all drains in order to collect particles that would cause a clog if they went down the drain. Clean debris from these strainers after each use. You should clean out the strainer in your bathtub often.
Installing efficient shower heads that are more effective can save you a lot of money when it comes to your energy head. Most of hot water in the shower. If you spend several extra dollars putting in energy-saving shower heads, you can save hundreds each year on your bills.
If the hose that leads to your kitchen sink has not been maintained or installed properly, it is most likely because of the hose to the kitchen sink being installed improperly. The hose connecting the kitchen sink and the dishwasher has to go upward before going back down so that there is no mixing between fixtures.
Avoid putting grease, fat, and other oils down your drain. Oils will eventually harden and clog up your drain. A garbage disposal can even become clogged by hardened grease and it will not run at optimum speed and efficiency. Be sure to get rid of oil products away from your sink.
Lint Trap
Clean out your dryer’s lint trap. This will help your dryer operates efficiently and may also prevent fires.Be sure you inspect your lint trap for tears or holes that could mean lint is going into your pipes, because this can cause bigger problems as it may mean that lint is escaping into your pipes.
By installing shower heads that are more efficient, you will be able to save a lot of money. Most of your water bills comes from the water you use to shower. If you use energy efficient heads for your showers, you can save hundreds each year on your bills.
Clean the aerator to adjust water pressure problems in case you have sediment build up. Take the aerator off, pull it apart, and brush it clean with a little vinegar.
Don’t bother running water when the garbage disposal. In contrast, sending water and garbage through the disposal together can shorten its lifespan by encouraging more waste to stick to the moving parts.
To lessen the chances of toilet problems, do not use as a place to put trash. Do not flush sanitary pads, paper towels, cotton balls, tissues, diapers or other materials, as these items do not dissolve and could cause clogs. Also, be conservative in your use of toilet paper.
There are two ways to get a stubborn clean-out plug. The first method involves a hammer and chisel to attempt loosening the fitting. The other option is chiseling through the plug.
As you can see, there are many tips and tricks that you can use to fix the plumbing in your 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.
To reduce your plumbing repair costs, use preventative maintenance measures. A common serious repair is removing clogs in the drain. Drains easily get clogged by hair. Avoid this by using a drain cover or screen that keeps hair and other particles from clogging your pipes. It’s a lot easier to take hair out of a screen than to pull it from a pipe.