Everybody gets curious about how plumbing systems work, once in a while. If a problem occurs, most people want to have the ability to fix it ourselves. We’d also like to know some more general maintenance hints. Take a few minutes to read this article and find out how you can face plumbing emergencies.
If you have a water pipe that freezes, have the tap closest to it turned on so the water can exit while the pipe thaws. Doing so provides pressure relief, and might spare you the damage of a burst pipe.
If one of your water pipes freezes, turn on the tap to the faucet nearest the pipe so that the water has somewhere to exit as the pipe thaws. By doing this, the pipe pressure is relieved, and this should stop it from bursting, which would prevent further home damage.
Check carefully around the base of your toilet for any damage caused by leaks. Do this by straddling the commode and rocking from side to side. You are looking for any feelings of weakness or softening of the floor itself. It could potentially save money by discovering any problems before too much damage occurs.
Avoid dumping oil, fat, and grease in your drain. They can clog your drains once they cool down. A garbage disposal can even become clogged by hardened grease and it will not run at optimum speed and efficiency. Get rid of any fat or oils outside or in the garbage can.
Garbage Disposal
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.
Clean your garbage disposal regularly to prolong the life of your disposal. If your garbage disposal begins to emit a bad smell, run some dish detergent and citrus rinds through the cycle to make it smell fresher.
Keep your bathtub drain running well by pouring a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain each month. This will cause the vigorous bubbling you may remember from the “volcano” in a grade school science project, so be sure to close the drain with a stopper. Flush it with boiling water after a few minutes. Although this is useful for clearing away simple clogs made of hair and soap debris, it will not work for serious blockages.
Ensure that your sink’s overflow holes are clear. These holes come into use if the skin overflows. Things can get problematic if they are clogged. It’s easy to maintain your plumbing, in this regard. When you’re performing periodic checks, simply clear any overflow holes while checking for other potential problems.
If you get your water from a well and orange or pink stains appear in your sink or tub, then you can be sure that the culprit is iron in your water. To get rid of this problem, you can either use a commercial product to soften the water, or have a contractor come to your home and do the work for you.
You need to know how to address problems before you actually experience them. Regular maintenance can also prevent small plumbing issues from becoming serious emergencies. Follow the advice offered in this article, and be ready to take care of all of your future plumbing needs.