Your home can be ruined by a bad plumbing problem. There are some suggestions below to assist you in fixing plumbing problems.

Find a plumber that you can trust. Make sure to get referrals from friends and family so that you can prevent getting ripped off, which happens often. Also make sure not to pay the plumber before the work is completed. If you do that, there will not be an incentive to get the job completed in a timely manner.

Don’t be afraid to call a professional. Don’t take on jobs to save money, if you aren’t sure how to fix them. Calling a professional plumber saves you money, the experience and know-how can fix your problem sooner and with less fuss.

To help you find a good plumber, you should get recommendations from people whom you trust. Asking a friend or a neighbor is usually more trustworthy than picking a random plumber out of the phone book. You need a competent plumber, otherwise you could be in for a much bigger problem down the road.

If you have issues with the plumbing making a hammering sound when you turn it off, check your water pressure. Any time your water pressure is above 80 PSI, you will hear extra water noise. This can be easily solved by the installation of a pressure-reducing valve, which can be done by most homeowners.

Knowing your tools and how to use them can help greatly in your plumbing experience. Make sure you read all the directions and manuals, while also taking advantage of online resources and the library to help you with your projects. Make sure you plan before you try any kind of repair, as it can be costly to fix a mistake.

Don’t use bleach tablets, odor removers or those blue tablets in your toilet. These may deodorize, but they can seriously damage the rubber pieces in the toilet, causing poor functionality or even complete breakdown of the fixture.

You can check your toilet for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring, Kool Aid or some coffee grounds to the water in the toilet’s tank (not the water in the bowl). Check the water in the bowl after a half hour or so. If any of the coloring agent is visible in the water in the bowl, the tank is leaking, and you will have to have it repaired.

Have all the plumbing repairs done in one visit. If a problem is minor, it can be wise to put off repair until you have more than one item to fix. This also gives you time to save up for the needed repairs. Most plumbers have an hourly rate and a flat rate for the trip: asking a plumber to fix multiple problems in one trip is cheaper than calling them more than once.

Make sure everyone in your home knows where the main water shut off valve is and that they know how to work it. That way, if there is a water problem, anyone in your household can turn off the water, thereby reducing the chances that your home will incur major water damage.

Enzyme-based products are often superior to other options when your drains are clogged. These cleaners turn the sludge into a liquid using natural bacteria, and then the liquid flows out of the pipes. Some of the finest cleaners are enzyme cleaners.

The dryer has a lint trap that must be kept clean. This can prevent troubles, including fires. Regularly check your dryer’s lint trap to see if it has any tears or holes that could potentially damage your dryer, and clog up your plumbing.

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.

When chilly weather approaches, it is time to disconnect your water hoses from your outside faucets. If you forget to do this, water in the hoses can freeze and expand. This can cause the faucets and the connecting pipes inside your house to freeze and break. By simply rolling up your garden hoses and storing them for the winter, you can help prevent costly plumbing repairs.

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.

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.

Teach kids how to shut off the toilet’s water supply. Kids are notorious for putting large wads of toilet paper and other things into the toilet, which inevitably leads to the toilet overflowing. Especially if your bathroom has carpet, show kids how to turn the water valve off if the toilet water keeps rising, to prevent the mess of an overflow.

Plumbing problems can cause a lot of concern, but they can be fixed with some patience and work. With knowledge, you can deal with some plumbing problems without needing to hire a plumber. Try to use the tips above to fix your plumbing problems.