If you’ve ever hired a professional plumber for something simple, you know how expensive and annoying the experience can be. If you’d like to save a little cash by learning how to solve your own plumbing problems, read on. This article will give you the knowledge you need for your own plumbing repair.

Do not try to sell a product that you do not agree with. This includes paying attention to the company itself and their values and policies. If you have any qualms about the company, your customers will pick up on it. You want to be a full supporter of the product you are selling

Check the filters in your furnace, regularly. If these filters have not been cleaned or replaced recently, they may become clogged. This will affect how well your furnace is able to work, meaning that you may not have enough heat during the winter. Take this simple step, as soon as the weather starts to become cold.

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.

Unclog drains with ease. Try using a plunger and drain cleaner, as your clog may simply be a build-up of hair and debris. If this doesn’t work you may have to clear the drain with a snake. Feed the snake into the drain line as far as it will go. Turn the crank gently, which will help to loosen the clog. Remove the snake, and run water down the drain to see if the clog has been removed. You may have to use the snake a couple of times, before the clog is cleared so don’t give up!

Do not pour grease or oil down any of your household drains. Put them in containers and place in the fridge until they are solid, then throw them away. If you pour them down the drain, they can solidify in cold pipes. These solid masses will clog your pipes and are very difficult to remove.

You can check your toilet for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring, Kool Aid or some coffee grounds to the water in the toilet’s tank (not the water in the bowl). Check the water in the bowl after a half hour or so. If any of the coloring agent is visible in the water in the bowl, the tank is leaking, and you will have to have it repaired.

Cleaning your in-sink garbage disposal can extend its lifetime significantly. By regularly using a mixture of dish soap, cherry pits and citrus rinds, you can ensure that your disposal runs smoothly and smells as fresh as one that is brand new.

You can keep your bathtub pipes clear by pouring baking soda and vinegar down your drain once a month. Use one cup of each. This will cause the vigorous bubbling you may remember from the “volcano” in a grade school science project, so be sure to close the drain with a stopper. After letting it sit for a few moments, clear the pipes out with a gallon of boiling water. This process should open up the pipes by clearing out hair build-up and soap scum.

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.

If you have drains in your house that have not been used for a long period of time, pour one gallon of water through them to keep them functional. Furthermore, this will have the added benefit of reducing any odors from entering your house from lack of use during the year.

Do not place items in the toilets that do not belong there. For example, if you are a female, do not throw away sanitary pads or tampons in your toilet. This could cause severe damage to your toilet that could require a plumber, or even worse, a whole new toilet!

Check your toilet for leaks. To check, squeeze a few food coloring drops in the toilet tank. Watch your toilet bowl, if you see some colored water, you will see that you are dealing with a issue that should be dealt with.

As you can see, hiring a professional plumber is usually an unnecessary and expensive thing to do, compared to fixing the problem yourself. Next time your plumbing needs repair, try pulling up this article and trying to solve it yourself. You may be surprised how easy it is to do!