Are you doing your own plumbing for the first time? You probably don’t even know where to start. It’s no secret that doing your own plumbing for the first time can be a bit overwhelming. Below are some tips that can help to make maintaining your own plumbing a bit smoother.

Avoid plumbing problems! Do not stop up the toilet! Some common items that will stop up a toilet include: toys, hair, paper towels, birth control items, and feminine personal products. Do not flush these items down your toilet – unless the instructions say otherwise! These can stop up your toilet – to the point that nothing else will work – except calling a plumber!

Ensure that a septic tank is emptied approximately five yearly, and make sure it is properly maintained. This will keep sediment from hanging out in your tank and eventually causing there to be a backup in your home. White it is somewhat expensive to pump the septic tank, it will be much more expensive should you need to clean backup, repair your septic tank or replace it altogether.

Do not let your faucet leak. Did you know a leaky faucet can waste about 150 gallons of water every day? If you have a leak, never ignore it. It could be coming from the faucet or the pipes. Continually check pipes and faucets for extra moisture or small leaks.

Put strainers in the bottoms of your drains to stop any clogging agents from escaping down the drain. Your kitchen sink strainer must be cleaned whenever it catches anything. Clean out the bathtup strainer every few days before it becomes clogged.

Run cold water through your garbage disposal. The cold water helps the blades that are inside stay sharp, and will keep your disposal running smoothly. Running hot water down the drain while you are using the garbage disposal can cause the drain to clog from any grease that is in there liquefying.

If your plumbing is making strange noises you may have lost something called your “air cushion”. To turn this back on, you’re going to need to turn off your main water supply. Run all faucets in your house and then turn back on your main water supply. This should make everything sound better again.

Your water heater works more during the fall and winter so make sure that you eliminate all sediment buildup around this piece of equipment. Flushing this device can lead to increased longevity so that you do not face plumbing problems during the winter. This precaution will save time, money and effort.

Never pour grease down the kitchen-sink drain. This will help you avoid clogs in your kitchen sink. Place grease in a can or other receptacles and dispose of in the trash. Grease that has congealed on pots, and pans can be wiped off with paper towels that can be thrown in the trash.

Cover pipes that are outside or in cool areas. Use heat tape to make sure that the pipes are completely covered and insulated. This will prevent frozen pipes in the winter, which can be an expensive problem. Check outdoor pipes for other problems such as leaks and cracks which are better to catch early.

When looking for a plumber, you have quite a few options. Ask friends for recommendations of who they use. Check online for plumbers with good reviews and references. Use your yellow pages and look under “Plumbing Contractors” or “Plumbing, Drain and Sewer Cleaning”. Make sure that you contact more than one plumber before making a choice.

If the water is not going into your dishwasher, the first thing you should do is shit off the water under the sink. Chances are that you have some kind of blockage, and keeping the water turned on could actually create a bigger problem. To fix the blockage, you may need to call a plumber.

Make sure any plumber that you hire can handle the type of job you have. There are many aspects to plumbing and many contractors can do almost all of them, but some are better suited to doing work involved in specific areas. If need a plumber for your septic system, get one that specializes in septic systems.

If you need to shut off your plumbing system, turning off the main valve is not enough. A leaking sink will still be supplied by the water that remains in the pipes. Make sure you check all the pipes for signs of wetness or leaks. You should do this regularly.

As you have seen, doing your plumbing is not as scary as it may appear at first. Just think of all of the benefits it has and all of the expenses it can take care of, along with all of the money it can save you in the long run.