A little bit of knowledge about plumbing can save you a lot of money. If you can fix small problems by yourself, you won’t have to hire a plumber and you can prevent large plumbing problems. Online resources are available to help you figure out how to repair your plumbing problems.
You can prevent frozen pipes within the home, by ensuring the temperature does not fall below freezing. Another important step is insulating pipes that are exposed to cold temperatures. If the temperature surrounding these pipes is below the freezing point, your pipes could freeze. In the best situation, it can take hours for frozen pipes to thaw and water to run freely again. However, they could burst, which would cause a huge mess and an extremely big repair bill.
A great tip to use to stop your septic tank from backing up is to make sure you have it pumped at least every five years. This stop sedimentary particles from accumulating in the tank, and in the worst cases, flooding your home or making the entire system to fail. If the cost of pumping your septic tank seems a bit steep, remember that the cost of cleanup and repair of a failed septic system will be much higher.
The areas of floor around your toilets are particularly susceptible to water damage; here’s how you can check them. You can check for softness or weakness in the floor by placing one foot on each side of the toilet and rocking back and forth. It could potentially save money by discovering any problems before too much damage occurs.
Each month, treat your drains by pouring one cup of baking soda down it, and then follow that with a cup of regular white vinegar. Cover the drain with an old rag, because there will be a chemical reaction taking place inside the pipes. Wait for a bit, then flush with boiling water. This process should open up the pipes by clearing out hair build-up and soap scum.
Regularly check your overflow holes to make sure they’re not clogged. Sinks use overflow holes if they start to overfill, and this isn’t usually a problem, but it can be. Inspect and clean the overflow holes as part of your regular household maintenance.
If you run your garbage disposal after working in the kitchen, use a large quantity of cold water. Cold water keeps blades sharp and allows for smoother disposal. If you use hot water, any grease that is in the disposal will turn to liquid, and sit inside of the drain, which can clog your pipes.
When changing your shower head, replace it with one of good quality. People usually opt for a cheap shower head instead of a quality product. The issue with that is they’re less tough and can break.
Be sure that the dryer’s lint trap is clean. This is a good idea for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is fire safety. 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.
If you have frozen pipes that can be a very costly repair. Fortunately, such damage is easy to prevent. Pipes in crawlspaces or outside your home should be thoroughly insulated. When it is cold outside make sure you bring in your hoses or at least drain them. Doing this can help save a lot of plumbing repair bills.
If you have grout in your water line, you shouldn’t try cleaning it yourself because it will be pointless. The grout can be broken up and sent further down. This works better when you have plastic pipes as opposed to metal ones. On the other hand, this situation usually ends in a call to a professional plumber.
Knowing about basic plumbing is a valuable skill. You will be useful to your family, as well as save a ton of cash if you learn how to plumb. Hopefully, you have found this information to be of use and interesting.
