How many times have you called in a plumber, only to have him charge you an expensive rate for a simple fix that you could have done yourself? If you know a little more about your plumbing system, you can save a lot of money. Read this article dealing with some plumbing tips that you can use.

Use a hairdryer to thaw frozen pipes, after you shut off the water to the house. A hairdryer will gently heat the pipe and thaw the ice without causing significant damage to the pipe. Shutting off the water first means that if the pipe is broken, there will be no rush of water into the house.

Toilet discs and odor removers should never be used in your toilet. While they may make your toilet smell pretty, they can erode the rubber parts in the toilet and cause it to stop working.

Check how well your toilets are flushing. If the handle needs to be played with in order to keep the water from running constantly, or if it needs to be held down several times in order to flush, you may need to switch out some of the parts in your tank. This is not expensive, and it could help reduce your monthly water bill. It could also mean that you avoid the embarrassment of the flushing system breaking when you have visitors!

There are many ways to unclog a drain. You can try plunging it at first. If that doesn’t work try using a chemical agent from the store. Before you go and spend money at the store though if you have baking soda and some vinegar handy, you can mix those together and pour them in the drain and try to plunge that if all else fails they have stronger remedies at your local hardware store.

DIY plumbing jobs will require that you understand how to solder copper for the lines for the water supply. You can practice this skill so that you will be able to run your lines without worrying about it leaking. Search online for video tutorials that can help you get a handle on how to go about soldering.

If you are using PEX tubing for the supply lines in your home, make sure you get the right tools for the job. PEX tubing requires a completely different tool type than regular lines. PEX has a lot of benefits though, so don’t let the different requirements throw you off.

Make sure to pour a gallon or two of water into drains that are used infrequently. Not only does this make sure that they are clear when you need them, but can also fill the trap and make sure that unpleasant odors don’t enter your home. Doing this periodically will also help you to catch problems before they become serious.

You do not have to turn the water on when you are putting things in the garbage disposal. People are misguided in thinking that it will work better with the water running, but it is actually of no help. Running water can help clear debris and keep the disposal’s temperature down, but it can also cause sticky materials to clog the disposal.

If you are looking to get new piping in your home, try to stay away from copper ones. Copper tends to have problems, due to water and soil corrosion. It is also harder to install these kinds of pipes. Steel or lead pipes tend to offer the best quality and are the most durable.

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.

There are times when a plumber’s service is necessary. However, many plumbing issues can be addressed easily if you are the know-how. Learning more about how your plumbing works can save you time and money in repairs. Remember these tips, and they could save you a lot of headaches the next time you have a plumbing problem.