Home plumbing is a modern convenience! Indoor plumbing means you do not have to live by a creek or use an outhouse. However, keeping this luxury functioning – where and how you want – without drowning everyone in your home can be an interesting challenge! Read on for some advice on controlling the flow of water in your home.

Rigid copper is used for main water lines in many homes. You cannot bend rigid copper, so joints and tees must be soldered on. When soldering, always apply flux (also called soldering paste) to both surfaces. Flux retards oxidation when the copper is heated. Always use lead-free or nearly lead-free solder when sweating a copper joint.

Make sure you know where your home’s water shutoff is located. You never know when there might be an emergency involving a broken pipe or damaged connection that requires you to turn off the water right away. In addition, knowing where the shutoff is located is vital before you start any plumbing project, in case anything goes wrong.

Ensure that everyone in your household knows how to turn off the main water supply, or knows how to contact someone who can. In the event of a burst pipe or other water-related emergency, you should immediately turn off the water to prevent flooding, structural damage, and a sky-high water bill.

Never pay a plumber until the job is complete. A plumber might ask you for part of the money before starting the job but you should never pay more than half. You should make sure the plumber did a good job before you pay in full.

If your water is coming out black, then most likely you have an iron and magnesium issue to your water. You need to contact a water softener company and get them to come out and assess your water. They will be able to fix the problem by adding a water softener.

In order to keep your garbage disposal in optimal working condition, run it on a regular basis. Just a simple 60 seconds per day under cold water can keep it running clean and smooth. If not run regularly, your disposal can be susceptible to corrosion that will eventually make it inoperable.

Don’t start any do-it-yourself plumbing project without having a plan in place. You need to know beforehand exactly what you are getting yourself into. Know what kind of space you are working with and what lines are which. Getting a clear picture early on will make your plumbing project go a lot smoother!

If your toilet is constantly developing moisture on the outside, you may want to consider turning up the heat in your bathroom. The biggest cause of “sweaty” toilets is cool and moist air. Believe it or not, this moisture could actually cause damage to your toilet, so it is crucial that you fix the problem.

If your sewer is backed up, there are things you can do to troubleshoot and clean, including renting equipment like a mainline cable. However, oftentimes this does not fully take care of the problem. A professional needs to assess the issue then, using a camera method, and thoroughly clean the mainline.

Try to limit the amount of hair that goes down your drain. Hair can become tangled up in the pipe and end up blocking up them, preventing water from flowing smoothly. Buy a cheap screened drain cover to put over your drain to stop any hair from going down and clean it off regularly.

Never hire a plumber that is not licensed, insured and bonded. If the plumbing company cannot provide you with reference numbers for their credentials, move on quickly. It is a common question and it should be a no-brainer for them to provide them to you. If they have issues with you asking, take that as a big red flag.

With a little bit of plumbing, you can route water anywhere you want in your home. Doing so makes it possible to live anywhere and adds convenience to any room – but done wrong can mean a financial disaster! Keep the wisdom of this article in mind and you can keep the water flowing where you want but in ways, you can handle.