Anyone who has spent any time in a house with running water knows plumbing problems can and do happen. Some mishaps are easily correctable, while others are not. Whatever your particular situation, you need to be educated about plumbing so you will know if you need to call a plumber, or if you can fix it yourself.

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.

On very cold winter nights, allow your faucets to trickle slightly, especially if your pipes are located in a crawlspace. The running water prevents the pipes from freezing as quickly as they would otherwise. You can catch the water and use it for other household needs to prevent wasting it.

Group all of your plumbing repairs before scheduling a plumber to come out. Check all of your fixtures and faucets. If anything is dripping, running or clogged, make a list for the plumber. That way, when the plumber comes, they can do all of the jobs in one visit. This will cut down on charges.

You need to winter-proof your house. You have to make sure you switch of the master circuit breaker or the shut-off valve before you leave your house. Since one small hole or congested water can quickly freeze and cause pipes to break and expand, you need to drain and open all outdoor and household water lines.

Use your garbage disposal with the cold water running so that you can preserve the blades of the disposal. Using hot water makes grease more liquid and can cause problems, including clogs. Make sure to clean blades by putting in a little dish detergent and run cold water at the same time.

It’s a bad idea to makes use of toilet tablets composed of bleach or in the color blue, or in fact any one designed to remove odors. Both of these may help to eliminate odors from your toilet, but it can also damage the rubber parts of your toilet, causing it to not function probably, or even to break down completely.

Have you tried patching your pipe with the store-bought patching kits only to have that section of your plumbing continue leaking? Replacing the damaged pipe is a more permanent solution than patching. First, you must shut off the main water valve, and drain the water from the damaged section. Cut out the damaged section of the copper pipe, leaving about an inch of extra pipe on both sides of the damaged area. Remove corrosion from inside the pipes with a wire brush. Apply flux to the replacement pipe and the remaining pipe. Slide the piece of replacement pipe into place with couplings. Apply solder all around the joint, and use a propane torch to solder the replacement section into place.

Don’t treat your toilet like a garbage can if you want to avoid a lot of potential plumbing problems. Don’t put disposable sanitary objects down the toilet. The sewage system cannot deal with these items and will become clogged. As well, use just enough toilet paper to clean yourself!

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.

When water pipes freeze, the damage can be extensive and costly. They can generally be prevented, though. Insulate your outside pipes. When it is cold outside make sure you bring in your hoses or at least drain them. Be proactive about this and save on future repair bills.

Don’t bother running your water when you use the garbage disposal. People think that things will go more smoothly down the disposal if water is used at the same time, but it does nothing to help. In some cases, water can actually cause garbage to become lodged in awkward places, and contribute to future problems.

Believe it or not, it is not a very good idea to use a plunger if your toilet is clogged. Plungers just push whatever is stuck deeper into the drain. Instead, it is a better idea to use a closet auger. It will do a better job and is affordable.

As stated before, plumbing problems can be miniscule or great. If you use the tips that were given to you in the article you just read, you will learn that it doesn’t have to stress you out to deal with these issues.