A good home should have a quality plumbing system. However, sometimes your plumbing will need attention and calling a plumber may not be a viable option due to costs or time of the year. This article lays out some effective tips for repairing and maintaining your plumbing.
Noisy pipes are actually a lot easier to fix than you would imagine. Exposed pipes need to be anchored. Get a professional to anchor any hidden pipes if you do not wish to do some work in your floors or walls by yourself.
Avoid paying the plumber until he finishes the job. Sometimes it is required to put a little money down before the job starts, but don’t ever pay the whole amount before you know the task is done correctly. It is vital that you check your plumber has done all the work he promised before you have over the full payment. This will protect you against being scammed by fraudulent tradesmen.
Avoid the use of products for your toilet that help with odor, such as bleach tablets. These products will reduce the smell, but they will also cause problems with the rubber gaskets. Over time, the damage will accumulate and could eventually stop the toilet from functioning at all.
Inspect around the toilets for softness in the floors to see if any damage has occurred. Straddle your toilet and gently rock foot to foot to see if your floor feels a little weak or soft. It’s important to catch and address floor damage problems as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more expensive the repair will be.
If you are unable to relieve a clogged toilet with a plunger, try pouring a small bucket of water into the bowl from about waist level if the level of water in the bowl is low. You could repeat this process again if the water in the toilet bowl gets low.
Put strainers in the bottoms of your drains to stop any clogging agents from escaping down the drain. Clean your kitchen strainer often, particularly if you can see debris accumulating. Bathtub strainers need regular cleaning as well.
Never try to fix a garbage disposal by putting your hand down into it. Even when the garbage disposal is turned off they can be dangerous. Research on the Internet for diagrams, troubleshooters or FAQ’s about your disposal.
Try to avoid putting things like fat, oils and grease down the sink drain. When they cool, they will harden and create clogs in your drains. This is especially true if you have a garbage disposal, as the fat will cause the blades to run slower and less efficiently. Dispose of your oils in a coffee can or other suitable container instead of your sink.
If your home operates on well water and you notice pink or orange stains in your bathtub and other fixtures, this is no doubt due to iron in the water. Luckily, you can quickly fix this by adding some water softener to your supply. You can pick up this product at a lot of stores, or have it shipped out to you.
If you get your water from a well and orange or pink stains appear in your sink or tub, then you can be sure that the culprit is 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. By utilizing a routine on a regular basis, using the combination of lemon rinds, cherry pits, and dish soap, you can maintain a disposal that runs great and smells like new.
Run cold water through your garbage disposal. Blades will stay sharper with cold water, making disposal quicker. If you use hot water, any grease in the disposal will turn into liquid, while causes pipe clogging.
Schedule one plumber to take care of all your issues in one single visit. You may want to have each minor problem attended to as the occur, but having multiple repairs done at once allows you to save up for the cost. It also costs less because most plumbers will charge you per hour and include a minimum rate for coming out. If you call them out multiple times, those charges for them coming out will add up quickly.
When replacing your shower head, spend the money on a high-quality model. In a lot of instances, folks decide they can get away with purchasing the most economical model on the shelf. Usually these break easily.
However, if you mix a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda and send them down your tub’s drain each month, the flow will keep going smoothly. Put a rag over the drain afterward, though, to keep the chemicals from coming back up after the reaction. Wait a while, and then use boiling water to flush. This procedure will clear the hair and soap scum out of your pipes.
If you have grout stuck in the line, it’s futile to try and clean it out yourself. You can attempt to break up some of the grout which works to help the line go a bit smoother. The problem will be easier to fix with plastic pipes rather than metal. You might have to get a professional to get rid of this issue.
Use lots of cold water when you run your garbage disposal. Cold water keeps blades sharp and allows for smoother disposal. Using hot water will cause grease to liquefy and accumulate in the drain, which will cause clogs in your pipes.
If you are trying to get a clean-out plug removed, but not getting very far, there are a couple of things you can do. You can use a hammer and a chisel to attempt to make the fitting looser. The only other alternative is to chisel through the plug.
Trash should go in the trash basket, not the toilet. Use the toilet for what it is designed for, and it won’t give you a lot of problems. Nothing should be flushed down the toilet except human waste and toilet tissue. Flushing sanitary napkins, diapers, disposable napkins, and other materials is a sure recipe for a clogged drain and a backed-up toilet. Reduce your use of toilet paper if you notice frequent clogs.
As stated from above, there are lots of tricks and tips one can use to repair plumbing problems in your home. This knowledge is extremely valuable not only for fixing up your own home, but also for not having to rely on other people.
Avoid using drain cleaners as much as possible. Corrosive chemicals erode the metal pipes slowly. Sometimes, finding a professional to fix a blocked drain is the best way to solve the problem.
