Many homeowners experience plumbing issues at one point or another. The kitchen and the bathroom are the most common places that plumbing problems occur. Every homeowner has to deal with plumbing issues. This advice will make dealing with these problems as painless as possible.
Have a professional flush your septic tank every five years or so to keep it working well. This will prevent sediment from piling up in your tank, which could cause it to overflow into your home and yard, or even cause the entire septic system to fail. While you may find it costly to get your septic tank cleaned out, the cost is much higher to have sewage and backups cleaned up and your septic tank repaired or replaced.
Get to know the tools and how they are used for the most success in plumbing. Make sure you read all the directions and manuals, while also taking advantage of online resources and the library to help you with your projects. Prior to attempting any repairs, be certain to plan ahead in order to avoid expensive errors.
While various toilet tablets and odor removers may be tempting, it’s best not to use them in your toilet. These things may help improve smells, but they can damage the rubber components of a toiler, which can cause it to function improperly or even worse, completely break down.
If you are unable to relieve a clogged toilet with a plunger, try pouring a small bucket of water into the bowl from about waist level if the level of water in the bowl is low. Once the water level is low again, you may repeated this procedure.
Check the floor for soft areas around the toilet to determine floor damage. Sit on the toilet and move from side to side, placing one foot on the ground. As you do, see if the floor lacks sturdiness or feels otherwise soft. You can wind up saving your money simply by noticing the problem early on.
Position a strainer over all drains to collect any particles that would otherwise go down the drain and possibly cause a stoppage. Clean your kitchen strainer often, particularly if you can see debris accumulating. Strainers placed in a bathtub can be cleaned periodically.
Schedule one plumber to take care of all your issues in one single visit. 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. It also saves you money because a lot of plumbers charge by the hour–they cannot charge for multiple hours every trip if they only make one trip out.
Overflow Holes
Regularly check your overflow holes to make sure they’re not clogged. Overflow holes drain sink that fill too full and may go unnoticed until they are needed. The overflow holes should be cleaned out regularly; do this when you are making your regular checks for other issues that necessitate fixing.
Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket to keep potential problems to a minimum. Under no circumstances flush cotton balls or swabs, paper towels, diapers, sanitary pads or other materials that will not dissolve. These items can cause major clogs. You will also want to use the least amount of toilet paper as required.
Use enzyme based cleaners when cleaning clogged pipes. These cleaners use natural bacteria, which turns sludge into liquid and cleans your pipes. The best options on the market now are enzyme cleaners.
Keeping up with maintenance is the number one way to keep plumbers from having to come fix issues. Drain clogs are probably the most frequent issue you will run into with your plumbing. This is because pipes can retain and trap hair, and other particles, very easily. You can stop this by using a screen or drain cover that is designed to keep hair out of your drain and pipes. It’s a lot simpler to eliminate hair that is on a screen than eliminating it off a pipe.
Sometimes you have no choice in what plumber you have scheduled, but you can still research them online. You’ll be more comfortable with the plumber if you read about other customers’ experiences with him.
When winter is on the horizon, it is particularly important to check your outside water fixtures to ensure they aren’t leaking or dripping. If they are, it is important to have all repairs completed before the temperatures drop below freezing. Frozen water will back up in your pipes and crack them, whether they are PVC, copper, or even steel. The smallest crack will allow enough water through to cause costly flooding and damage.
You should contact your local Consumer Affairs Department before you hire any plumber. You can check for valid licenses and negative reviews. If they don’t generate appealing results, you can simply move forward and find someone who does.
Lack of preparation can really cost you in the event of a plumbing problem. You should educate yourself with repair advice so that you’re able to handle simple plumbing issues. If you’ve got a plumbing issue down the road, the tips you learned should help you a lot.