Things A Plumber May Be Able To Do That You Cannot
Simple plumbing issues can not only hurt the image of your home but they can destroy your wallet. Simple things from clogged drains, to more advanced leaks, can be incredibly destructive. Don’t fret, however! With a few essential tips for the do-it-yourself home plumber, you will be ready to take care of any issue.
If you have noisy pipes that sound like hammering or squeaking, this is something that is easy to fix. You will need to anchor any exposed pipes. You might want to contact a professional when the pipes are hard to access.
As the weather begins to get cold, attend to all of your exposed pipes by adding insulation to them. Pay particular attention to pipes located in crawl spaces and the outside walls of your residence. Taking this step will help ensure that your pipes continue to function throughout the winter.
Make sure everyone that lives in your house knows where to find and use the main water shut-off valve in case there is a burst pipe emergency. This is especially important if you live in an area where your pipes may freeze. Take a moment to show your family members where the valve is and how to properly shut it off.
When starting a plumbing project that is due to loud noises in your pipes empty the pipes first. This can be an easy fix to an otherwise wasted huge job. Just close the main water line and open the facets throughout the house. After the water has stopped flowing turn the water on from the main source and check to see if the noise is eliminated.
Do not put cooking oils, fat, or grease, down your drain. These fats cause clogs by solidifying in pipes. To properly dispose of fats, put them in a bowl with a lid that you can dispose of. Once it gets hard, throw it in the trash or compost bin.
Install screen traps or drain covers on all of your sinks and tub drains. Most home plumbing calls are about clogged pipes. These can be caused by debris, especially hair, washing down the drains. Putting in a trap means that you can clean this debris off before it ends up in the pipes.
Never pour grease down the kitchen-sink drain. This will help you avoid clogs in your kitchen sink. Place grease in a can or other receptacles and dispose of it in the trash. Grease that has congealed on pots and pans can be wiped off with paper towels that can be thrown in the trash.
To be successful in any plumbing project, make sure you turn the water off before you start unscrewing pipes. This tip might actually sound insulting, but you are probably getting caught up in having the right tools and parts and being dressed right. Double-check that there is no splash waiting for you. Then triple and quadruple check.
Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.
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.
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.
Plumbing can be an advanced, highly technical profession where more often than not, you need an expert’s help. However, sometimes that is not the case and there are some simple do-it-yourself home fixes. If you take a little time to read about them you will find some of the most common plumbing problems are able to be handled by the common man.
