As fun as planning to do your own plumbing can seem, it is a very important reason to start learning how now. Another thing is that it can save you a lot of money in the future, so you can handle any issues yourself. These tips below can help you start.

Act quickly if your pipes freeze! Shut off the water and open the faucet, enabling it to drain when it thaws. Starting with the faucet, and working your way to the iced-up area, aim a propane torch or hairdryer at the pipe – this will quickly defrost it. You could also wrap the pipe in a heating pad or aim a heat lamp at it, but this will take quite some time. The last resort is to wrap the pipe in rags and pour boiling water over it.

Make sure you know where your home’s water shutoff is located. You never know when there might be an emergency involving a broken pipe or damaged connection that requires you to turn off the water right away. In addition, knowing where the shutoff is located is vital before you start any plumbing project, in case anything goes wrong.

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.

Periodically check your pipes for leaks and cracks. These can be forgotten since pipes are usually hidden away, but checking for leaks and cracks can help you identify a small problem before a big problem occurs. You may have to enlist the help of a family member to turn on and off the water stream as you are checking.

Make sure you get a good recommendation or check the references before you hire a plumber. With good recommendations, it will assure that you are hiring an experienced plumber. If the experienced plumber is professional, he will have a fully stocked truck and be able to complete most small jobs in one visit.

When you replace your shower head, be sure that the replacement head is high quality. Many times people try to save money and buy the cheapest one that they see. The problem with this is that they are not very sturdy and can break much easier.

Don’t shrug off that trickle coming from your toilet as a small problem. Even the tiniest leak can be quite expensive in the long run as you end up wasting potentially hundreds of gallons of water. See if you can find the root of the leak, or seek out professional advice, and keep your toilet running efficiently.

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 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.

Do not ignore a slow flushing toilet. This is usually a sign that something is wrong. It can also cause backups and overflows. The most common causes of a slow flushing toilet are sediment build-up, tank malfunctions, or partial clogs. You should periodically check for these problems.

Garbage disposals are a common cause of plumbing problems, which is an easy problem to solve. Don’t just put everything down at your disposal or treat it like a second trash can. Use the disposal things that would be difficult to dispose of normally. Putting all leftover food down the sink is a good way to produce clogs.

If your sewer and main lines keep clogging up, then it is very possible that you have a tree root blockage problem. There are over-the-counter products you can buy to attempt to get rid of this problem. This is very effective, yet the problem is usually very extensive. Therefore, it may require a professional to come out and solve the problem completely.

While planning to do your own plumbing was incredibly interesting. You should feel better you know how to do it correctly and safely. You can now apply your newly acquired plumbing skills and knowledge either to maintain your plumbing, try to repair it, or better your own home system.