Finding The Right Plumber For Your Plumbing Needs
Are you experiencing issues with plumbing fixtures in your home? Are you ready to educate yourself and improve your abilities? If you want to, you’re reading the right article. Fixing problems yourself will require the purchase of specific tools but you will end up saving money on a professional plumber.
Before starting any plumbing project on your own be sure to do a great deal of research. There are many resources available to assist you in understanding your plumbing system and help you to avoid many common mistakes made by do-it-yourself novices. Reading about other people’s mistakes can make the difference of saving or losing money.
To prevent pipes from freezing, don’t let temperatures drop under freezing in your home, and insulate external pipes. But, be advised that your pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature near those pipes is less than freezing. It may take time to thaw so that you can have running water. But, more importantly, the pipes can burst, which will cause a huge mess and big repair bill.
On very cold winter nights, allow your faucets to trickle slightly, especially if your pipes are located in a crawlspace. The running water prevents the pipes from freezing as quickly as they would otherwise. You can catch the water and use it for other household needs to prevent wasting it.
Look closely at your toilets several times throughout the year. Check to see if there are any leaks that you may not have noticed; you can do this by placing five or six drops of food coloring in the tank. If there is a leak, the color will seep into the bowl within half an hour. This process will help you catch a small problem before it gets too out of control.
Unclog drains with ease. Try using a plunger and drain cleaner, as your clog may simply be a build-up of hair and debris. If this doesn’t work you may have to clear the drain with a snake. Feed the snake into the drain line as far as it will go. Turn the crank gently, which will help to loosen the clog. Remove the snake, and run water down the drain to see if the clog has been removed. You may have to use the snake a couple of times, before the clog is cleared so don’t give up!
Put strainers in the bottoms of your drains to stop any clogging agents from escaping down the drain. Thoroughly clean the strainer on a regular basis. Kitchen filters should be changed often, while bathtub filters can be changed as needed.
Do not put your hand in the garbage disposal to remove a clog. This can be potentially harmful. Always use tongs to get out whatever is stuck in the disposal. Using tongs is much safer, and you will make sure your hand does not get cut on the disposer’s sharp blades.
You should drain all of the water out of the tank of your hot water heater at least once every three to six months. Draining all of the water out of the tank helps to prevent sediment build-up at the bottom of the tank. This sediment can cause the tank to bang or to heat less efficiently.
Find out the plumbing codes in your local area before starting any project. Plumbing codes can vary wildly from area to area and you don’t want to run afoul of the codes. Visit your local building department to find out information or hire a plumber for a day to help you go over your plans and provide advice.
Some people say that when you use the garbage disposal you don’t have to run the water. Many people make the mistake of thinking that a disposal can handle anything as long as they have water running when they turn it on. That is not true at all. Running water can help clear debris and keep the disposal’s temperature down, but it can also cause sticky materials to clog the disposal.
Do a routine check around your house each month on each and every faucet to make sure there are no signs of leaks or drips. Over time, leaks can add a lot of money to your water bill and will worsen if you do not take care of the problem.
If you find that your pipes have frozen during the cold winter months open all the faucets in your home. This lowers the water pressure for when the pipes thaw and the water is freely flowing again. Make sure to open all the faucets not just those that are frequently used.
After this bit of light reading, you may even find yourself optimistic in beginning your plumbing work. This article has given you advice that will be efficient for your needs. Keep learning until you know everything possible to make you comfortable about plumbing.