Over time, plumbing in our homes is bound to fail. You can call a plumber to fix this, or you can try your hand at doing your own plumbing. Doing your own plumbing jobs is not always easy. The following article will contain helpful advice for anyone who wishes to do their own plumbing.

Toilet discs and odor removers should never be used in your toilet. These products will reduce the smell, but they will also cause problems with the rubber gaskets. Over time, the damage will accumulate and could eventually stop the toilet from functioning at all.

Make sure overflow holes are cleaned out. This can help to prevent any water damage. Overflow holes are a way to stop water from overflowing if a sink is left on by accident. If the overflow hole is clogged it will not be able to do its job.

Keep your bathtub drain running well by pouring a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain each month. Put a rag over the drain afterward, though, to keep the chemicals from coming back up after the reaction. After a few minutes, just flush the drain out with water that has reached a boiling point. By taking these steps, you have a good chance of ridding your pipes of hair and soap scum.

While it may seem like a seemingly harmless thing to do, never run potato peels through your garbage disposal. The chemical makeup of this seemingly harmless food allows the potato to turn into a thick, viscous substance that can wreak havoc on the disposal itself, with the potential to render it completely useless.

Drain the sediment from the bottom of your hot water heater twice a year to keep the hot water heater working at its optimal levels. Simply open the drain valve and allow the water to run out into a bucket until the water runs clear. Then close the drain valve.

You can remove unsightly mineral buildup from your shower head by soaking it in vinegar overnight. This loosens the deposits, and in the morning you only need to wipe off the residue with a rag. If your shower head is high up and not removable, place vinegar in a plastic bag, slip the bag over the showerhead and hold it in place with a twist tie.

In any DIY plumbing project, make sure that you always test the drains and the supply lines before you close up the walls. It is a lot easier to find and solve problems if you look for them while you are still in the process of actively doing the job.

If you have an odor coming from one or more fixtures in your house, it is likely this has to do with the water in water traps. Each fixture has a water trap that is sealed off to prevent odors. If the water evaporates, the odors can surface. Therefore, try adding water to the traps.

Using a snake tool to remove blockages is very easy. Just insert the tool a few inches into the drain, and then turn the handle to change the direction of the snake head and search for blockages. Continue moving down slowly and searching until you find the cause of your blockage.

Heat up frozen pipes carefully if they have frozen. In colder regions, pipes placed closest to outer walls and ceilings could freeze if not properly insulated. Use hot rags, hot water, a blow dryer, or a similar heat source. Start heating at a place nearest the tap, then work backward.

The main water cut-off valve is a very important piece of information you should be aware of, and you should know exactly where it is. The water meter for your property should be close to it. Sinks, toilets, and other fixtures may also have their own cut-off valves. Show everyone where these valves are, and make sure they know how to switch them off in the case of a crisis.

In conclusion, plumbing is bound to fail over time. There are two solutions: call a plumber to fix it or attempt to fix it yourself. Doing the job by yourself can sometimes be hard, but if you remember the helpful advice from the article above, you can do the task.