Unfortunately, most homeowners find that plumbing issues tend to rear their head soon after a new property is purchased. Plumbing issues can occur in any room in the house, but usually happen in the kitchen or bathroom. Every homeowner will have to deal with a plumbing problem of some kind. Continue on for some helpful tips so you can take care of these problems if they happen.
If your pipes are so noisy that they sound like squeaking or hammering, you can easily solve this problem. Anchoring exposed pipes will decrease the amount of noise your plumbing system makes. Call a plumber to help with pipes that require you to cut a hole in a wall, ceiling or floor.
If your pipes make squeaking and hammering noises, it may be very simple to fix. If pipes are exposed, you must anchor them. If the pipes are in the walls, floors or ceiling, you may want to call a professional to come and help complete the project.
Having your septic tank pumped out on a regular basis will keep it functioning properly. This stop sedimentary particles from accumulating in the tank, and in the worst cases, flooding your home or making the entire system to fail. It is a small price to pay now to keep your septic in good working order and prevent having to pay for a major repair caused by a backup.
Don’t pay a plumber midway through the job. You may have to put money down before they start working, but avoid paying the total amount until it’s done. If you pay everything up front, you have no recourse if the plumber doesn’t finish the job or doesn’t do it correctly.
Pass on seemingly convenient cleaning products like bleach tablets and blue toilet tabs. 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.
If your toilet gets clogged, there is a low level of water in toilet, and the plunger is not working, you may fix the problem by dumping warm water from a bucket into your toilet from about waist level. If the water goes down to a lower level again, then you should repeat the procedure.
Don’t put things like fat, oil or grease down your drains. These materials may be liquid when you pour them in, but they will solidify and cause problems. If the sink has a garbage disposal, it will also make the blades less efficient. Dispose of oils and fatty liquids in the trash.
If your home runs on well water and you notice any orange or pink stains in your fixtures or tub, this is because of iron in your water. A water softener can filter out unnecessary minerals, and leave you with clean, usable water.
To keep your garbage disposal working at its best, use plenty of cold water when you turn it on. Cold water helps the blades stay sharp and keeps the disposal running smoothly. If you use hot water instead of cold, it will turn any fat into liquid and cause the fat to clog your pipes when it later cools and solidifies.
Avoid putting grease, fat, and other oils down your drain. Whenever they cool, they tend to harden and make clogs inside your drains. This is most true if you use a garbage disposal, as the fat causes the blades to function slower and they will become less efficient. See to it that you dispose the oils away from your sink.
When you replace your shower head, be sure that the replacement head is high quality. Most times, people tend to think that it is alright to purchase the most inexpensive shower head they could find. Usually these break easily.
Garbage Disposal
You do not have to turn the water on when you are putting things in the garbage disposal. Water will not make your garbage disposal run smoothly. This could actually make the garbage more sticky and cause more issues.
Schedule your plumbing jobs all together. 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. It also costs less because most plumbers will charge you per hour and include a minimum rate for coming out. If you call them out multiple times, those charges for them coming out will add up quickly.
If you are having trouble removing clean out plugs, there are a couple ways in which to resolve this. The first one is to use a hammer and chisel to attempt loosening the fitting. The other option is chiseling through to clean out the plug.
Sometimes, you will be forced to use a certain plumber, but that doesn’t mean that looking him up on Angie’s List or a similar site isn’t a good idea. Your insurance provider may contract with a specific plumber; if you are knowledgeable about the company’s past jobs and client reviews, you will be more prepared.
If you have sewage backing up into your toilet, this is due to a blockage in the branch line connecting the main line and sewage line. If you are unable to address this blockage on your own, you may require the services of a professional. The blockage will be cleared by running a snake throughout the line.
If you have to replace any of your shower heads, make sure that the replacement is the best one you can afford. People will buy the cheapest option thinking it will do the job they need it to do. However, they are inexpensive for a reason, this being that they are cheaply made and tend to break a lot easier.
As the cold winter weather approaches, make sure that your outside faucets are not leaking or dripping. If water is continually dripping, you need to make some repairs on your own before the temperature drops below freezing. No matter what material your pipes are constructed from, the additional pressure that results from freezing water will crack them. Even a tiny crack can leak enough water to flood your home.
Rarely used valves can sometimes fuse together. Use penetrating oil to maintain them, and make sure you turn them every once in a while.
A plumber’s work goes well beyond fixing toilets and pipes. Of course, water lines are the most common items that a plumber will work on.
A sink with poor water pressure can often be corrected by cleaning the built-up sediment out of the aerator. Take the aerator apart and clean it with a brush and some vinegar. After rinsing the aerator, put it back together and reinstall it. Removing obstacles in aerators should improve the water pressure.
You should be very careful when choosing drain cleaners. Some of them contain strong chemical agents that will damage your pipes. Make certain the one you buy is a brand known for pipe safety. There are varieties of chemicals that are not only dangerous for humans, but will also destroy certain types of bacteria that are helpful to the plumbing system.
Plumbing Fixtures
You should seriously consider opting for brass plumbing fixtures if you are at a point where you need to install new fixtures. Brass is a very durable material and will last a long time. Brass fixtures look a lot nicer than many of the other types of plumbing fixtures that you can purchase. They are also easy to locate, just about any hardware or home repair store will have them.
Always check for leaks in and around your toilets. An excellent method of checking this is by dropping a few food coloring drops in the tank of the toilet. Watch your toilet bowl, if you see some colored water, you will see that you are dealing with a issue that should be dealt with.
Take breaks if you are doing repairs outside in the sun. The heat of the sun is easy to forget when you are very involved in your work, but that does not mean that it becomes any less dangerous.
Being caught completely unprepared for plumbing dramas is the last thing you should do. Every homeowner should arm themselves with a few basic plumbing tools and repair tips. If you should face a future plumbing problem, the information you gained here will help you tackle the situation.