What do you know about plumbing? Do you see your current knowledge as a foundation to build upon, or are you satisfied with what you already know? How much skill do you have? If you can’t answer these questions, check the article below for some pointers.
If a water pipe freezes, you should turn the on tap that is nearest to the pipe to ensure the water has a place to get out when the pipe thaws out. This reduces pressure to keep the pipe from bursting, which could prevent a big mess in your home.
Septic Tank
To keep your septic tank in good working order, it is advisable to have it pumped out every five years. Having it cleaned out prevents the sediment from accumulating in the septic tank and creating a sewage backup in your house or triggering the meltdown of the entire septic system. Hiring a professional to pump out your septic tank is costly, but it is far preferable to the damages that could be incurred if the tank becomes backed-up or inoperative.
The areas of floor around your toilets are particularly susceptible to water damage; here’s how you can check them. An easy way to test for floor softness is by straddling the toilet and shifting your weight. If the floor feels soft when you do this, you have floor damage. This will save you a lot of trouble and money if you find the issue before something horrible happens.
Based Liquids
Try to never pour grease, fat, or any oil-based liquids into your drains. These substances will harden as soon as they cool down, and clog your drains. This is especially the case if you possess a garbage disposal; fats and oils cause blades to run less efficiently and slow. The best thing to do is to dispose of oil-based liquids away from your sinks.
If you notice orange or pink stains in your bathroom fixtures, this is because of the iron in your water. A water softener can cure this problem and can be installed by you, or you may opt to have a professional to come and install it for you.
To maintain your garbage disposal and avoid malfunction, you should regularly clean it. You can run lemon rinds and dish soap through your disposal to help keep it smelling fresh and operating in an efficient manner.
If you are seeing water at the bottom of the dishwasher, most likely this is due to a faulty setup of the hose that leads from the kitchen sink. Your hose must run in a hill pattern to avoid water mixing. Think of the St. Louis Arch — start from your sink, go uphill with the hose, and then down before connecting to the dishwasher. This way, only pressurized water can travel through the hose. Leakage won’t be an issue.
Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket to keep potential problems to a minimum. Don’t flush paper towels, diapers, cotton balls, tissues or any other materials besides toilet paper. These items don’t dissolve and can cause clogs. Try to minimize the amount of toilet tissue that gets flushed, too – but don’t neglect basic hygiene!
Enzyme Based Pipe
Enzyme based pipe cleaners should be a first choice when you are trying to unclog a pipe that is blocked or draining slowly. Enzyme based pipe cleaners utilize natural bacteria to attack the clog and dissolve it so it can be washed away. The cleaners that have enzymes are the best you can buy.
Be sure to regularly clean out the lint trap that is in your dryer. This not only prevents fires, but saves money. Regularly check your dryer’s lint trap to see if it has any tears or holes that could potentially damage your dryer, and clog up your plumbing.
Keeping up with maintenance is the number one way to keep plumbers from having to come fix issues. Drain clogs are probably the most frequent issue you will run into with your plumbing. You can clog your drains with hair. To keep hair out of your plumbing, use a screen or cover for your drains that allows water through but keeps hair out. Because the hair is at a place where you can remove it, it saves you from having to call a plumber out to your home.
Plumbing Repair
One costly plumbing repair is frozen pipes. Normally, you will be able to prevent this issue. First, insulate your outside pipes well. Before winter, drain your hoses and disconnect your outdoor faucets. Doing this can help save a lot of plumbing repair bills.
If you have plumbing problems caused by grout in the water lines, it is best not to attempt to fix it yourself. You might be able to break it up a little bit and then get it a little further down the line. This works better with plastic piping than it does with metal. However, you are likely going to have to call in a professional plumber to take care of this problem.
Have you gained valuable information about plumbing? Do you know more about the type of plumbing in your home? Have your plumbing skills improved? Are you now able to utilize things that can apply to your home system? Are you aware of exactly how to correctly operate the equipment? You should be able to answer these questions after reading this article.