Having plumbing issues in your home can cause disastrous consequences. Stop plumbing problems before they start by applying the following tips.
Anchoring your pipes can eliminate the hammering and squeaking noises caused by loose pipes and fitting. Those pipes will need to be anchored if they are exposed. Get a professional to anchor any hidden pipes if you do not wish to do some work in your floors or walls by yourself.
You don’t want to end up with frozen pipes, so take preventive action, such as wrapping outside pipes with insulation, and keeping indoor temperatures above freezing at all times. If the temperature surrounding these pipes is below the freezing point, your pipes could freeze. The best case scenario is that you can heat the pipes and the water will start flowing again. On the other hand, they can burst, which gets messy and really expensive.
To prevent frozen pipes, always keep the living spaces in your house above freezing, even if you aren’t home. Any exposed pipes need to be insulated against the outdoor temperatures. The pipes will be able to freeze if the temperature surrounding the pipes drops below freezing. Even in the best case scenario, it will take hours for thawing to happen before you have running water again. But, they could also burst, causing a mess and a large repair bill.
If a water pipe freezes, you should turn the on tap that is nearest to the pipe to ensure the water has a place to get out when the pipe thaws out. This assists you in relieving pressure within the pipe, and could stop any bursting from occurring, which can prevent additional damage to your home.
Do not attempt to fix your garbage disposal by reaching in with your hands. Garbage disposals pose a serious risk, even when flipped off. Search online for a troubleshooting manual for your disposal.
Know your plumbing tools and exactly how to use them before you start on any plumbing repair. Read the instructions, which many people overlook, and check out the internet which has many resources to help with plumbing issues. Before undertaking repairs on your own, you should have a plan; otherwise, a mistake could make repairs even more costly.
Each month, treat your drains by pouring one cup of baking soda down it, and then follow that with a cup of regular white vinegar. Seal off the drain with a conventional plug or a piece of fabric while the natural chemical reaction takes place. Pause a few minutes, and then follow the mixture with boiling water. This procedure should clear the pipes of soap scum and accumulated hair.
Kitchen Sink
If you are seeing water at the bottom of the dishwasher, most likely this is due to a faulty setup of the hose that leads from the kitchen sink. The hose connecting the kitchen sink and the dishwasher has to go up and then down in order for the water of both locations to not mix.
Use a strainer over your sink drain to catch food and other bits of material. Otherwise, you will likely get a clogged drain. Thoroughly clean the strainer on a regular basis. Those in the bathtub should be cleaned out periodically, as needed.
Plumbing issues can be bothersome, but with perseverance and hard work, they can be fixed. Knowing what to do yourself, and when to call a plumber will quickly get things fixed. Hopefully this article has provided you with some useful advice for the next time you face another plumbing problem.