How You Can Plumb Your Own Home
Were you aware that you could get something as cheap and easy to install as a rubber blanket for your pipes in order to take care of that banging noise you hear in your house? Use this article for this and more great plumbing tips to help you today!
Water hammer problems, pipe noise due to water hitting the back of the pipe, can be easily repaired. If pipes are exposed, you must anchor them. For pipes that are situated inside walls, or the floor or ceiling, you should hire a professional.
Do not use the liquid cleaning supplies that are designed to clear clogs. These cleaners are harmful and can damage your pipes as they clear the clog. Instead of using damaging liquids, use a plunger or a plumbing snake. These are much more effective and will not harm pipes.
To winterize a house that will sit unused during the winter months, you must completely drain all of the pipes. After turning off the main water supply, let all of the water drains from the faucets, toilets, and water heater (turn off the gas). Add a quart of antifreeze to the sinks and the tub to prevent water from freezing in the drain trap.
At least once a year remove the faucet aerator and clean the screens. This helps it properly function. The function of a faucet aerator is to allow for an even flow of water and to conserve water. Be sure to clean out the aerator and you’ll notice these things working.
A great way to knock out your plumbing issues in one shot is to schedule everything at once. It can be tempting to call a plumber each time you have a minor problem, but saving plumbing work for one time allows you to put money aside for the repairs. Because most plumbers charge labor by the hour on top of a flat call rate, you can significantly reduce your bill by reducing the trips they make to your home.
Make sure that you disconnect all hoses outside your house when the fall season hits. This is important to reduce the chance of freezing, which can cause damage to the connecting pipes. Disconnect all of your water hoses and store them safely to put your family in the best position for the fall.
If you have problems with a slow drain, there are easier things you can do other than removing the pipes to clean it. There are certain tools made just for this purpose that you insert into the drain to loosen the clog so it washes away or grabs it and remove it completely.
Frozen pipes can lead to many problems, most of them expensive to fix. So you want to avoid that at all costs. To avoid frozen pipes, make sure the temperature in your home never drops below 55 degrees. Look for any air leaks around your pipes and make sure they’re sealed up.
Do you have a frozen drainpipe? You can use a garden hose to thaw it out. First of all, remove the trap from the drainpipe and insert the hose until it will not go any further. While lifting up the other end of the hose, pour hot water down it. Keep pouring hot water down the hose until the drainpipe thaws. To save time with cleanup, keep a bucket underneath to catch the water that overflows.
To avoid freezing pipes in the winter, make sure to insulate any exposed pipes in your basement before winter comes. Pay extra attention to pipes near the outside walls. If you have had a problem with any particular pipe freezing in the past, apply some heat tape to insulate those pipes.
Sometimes kitchen sinks can be clogged up due to a slow accumulation of solidified grease. One quick fix for this is to try pouring very hot grease down the sink, which will liquefy the grease clogging the drain and carry it down. Water won’t work, because grease will not dissolve in water.
In conclusion, there is a lot that you can easily do in your own home when it comes to dealing with plumbing issues. Hopefully, you learned a few things and will be able to act on them. Use this advice today and be confident in all of the plumbing work that you do.
