You’ve done it. You’re ready to handle your home’s plumbing maintenance and repair. What perfect timing! You probably have tons of questions on how to start and what to do, but fear not, this article can help you. Listed below are some tips that will help you get started with your plumbing aspirations.

Solder with safety in mind. When you solder a copper pipe you want to direct the flame on the copper pipe. The flame of the torch has to be four inches away from the piping. The flame should be targeted directly at the point where the copper piping needs to be disconnected.

To prevent frozen pipes, always keep the living spaces in your house above freezing, even if you aren’t home. Any exposed pipes need to be insulated against outdoor temperatures. Obviously, if it is below freezing outdoors, the pipes will be subjected to the same temperatures. In the best situation, it can take hours for frozen pipes to thaw and water to run freely again. Frozen pipes can also burst, which can be very messy and expensive to repair.

If you have a clogged toilet and a plunger is not helping to clear the blockage, if the water level is low, pouring a bucking of boiling water from a height into the toilet bowl could resolve the problem. Once the water is lower, do this again.

Do not overload your garbage disposal. If you need to dispose of large items, cut them up into smaller pieces. Also, do not put too much in at a time, but one or two items in and wait a few seconds to dispose of the rest. Overloading your disposal can cause the engine to overheat.

To avoid sediment buildup, drain gallons of water from your water heater to flush any corrosion. This will help your heater to run more efficiently, therefore, saving you regular energy costs. Make sure to read your heater’s instructions before attempting this, and do this periodically to make sure that your heater is running as well as it can.

There are simple ways to check your toilet for leaks that can ultimately lead to great cost savings in the long run. The easiest way to do this is to pour a small amount of food dye into the holding tank of your toilet overnight. In the morning, if you have any color in the basin then you know you have a leak that needs some attention.

Before you can fix a toilet that does not flush properly, it is important that you find out what is causing the problem. Depending on what the problem is, you may be able to fix it yourself. However, more complicated toilet flushing problems may require the services of a plumber.

If you live in an area that sees routine freezing temperatures, make sure you do something to keep your pipes from becoming frozen as well. There are a wide variety of ways you can keep your pipes from freezing, which will help you avoid damage to your home and costly repairs.

Do not, under any circumstances, put lemons down your disposal. Although the lemon smell will give your disposal a great smell, its acid can corrode the metal parts in it. Instead, use products that are made specifically for this use. You can purchase these products at most hardware stores or wherever cleaning products are sold.

Do you have a frozen drainpipe? You can use a garden hose to thaw it out. First of all, remove the trap from the drainpipe and insert the hose until it will not go any further. While lifting up the other end of the hose, pour hot water down it. Keep pouring hot water down the hose until the drainpipe thaws. To save time with cleanup, keep a bucket underneath to catch the water that overflows.

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.

Now you should be much more prepared when it comes to plumbing. If you thought that you were ready before, well you should now be an expert! The tips that were given should have provided you with some advice that can help you get started with maintaining and fixing your own plumbing.