Are you having plumbing issues? Are you contemplating the potential for dealing with the issues on your own? If this is for you, you have found the right information! The tips that are listed in this article contain advice on what you can do to make your own home plumbing more efficient.
Septic Tank
Have a professional flush your septic tank every five years or so to keep it working well. This keeps the sediment from building in the tank, which can cause septic tank failure or backup into your house. 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.
Learning the basics is important with plumbing problems, including how to use the common plumbing tools. Read each and every manual, and utilize the information that can be found in libraries and the Internet about do-it-yourself projects. Think ahead and learn everything you can before tackling a plumbing repair project. If you make things worse rather than better, you’ll have to pay expensive plumbing fees to fix the problems.
Do not put any oil, fat, or greasy foods or products in your sink. When they cool off, they become hard and will clog your pipes. This is very true for garbage disposal, since fat will make the blades run less quickly and efficiently. Pour the grease and oil into a can to cool, put it in the trash.
If you live in a home using well water and your bathtubs have stains pink and orange in color, this is likely a result of iron levels in the well water. This is something that needs to be taken care of by water softener, which you can buy at a store, or have a company come out to your house and take care of it for you.
Schedule your plumbing work simultaneously. You might be tempted to contact a plumber every time you face a small problem, but if you have problems repaired all at once, you will have time to save money for the fixes. Because most plumbers charge labor by the hour on top of a flat call rate, you can significantly reduce your bill by reducing the trips they make to your home.
To keep things flowing smoothly through the drain of your bathtub, each month you should feed it baking soda, one cup’s worth, with a cup of vinegar to chase it. Afterward, place a washcloth or towel over the top of the drain, to keep the chemical reactions contained. After waiting a few minutes, flush the drain with boiling water. Doing this will probably void your pipes of hair accumulations and soap scum.
Overflow Holes
Check overflow holes to make sure there’s no clog. Sinks use overflow holes if they start to overfill, and this isn’t usually a problem, but it can be. Clean overflow holes as part of your annual maintenance, and any other time you are handling general plumbing repairs.
It is important not to run water while using a garbage disposal. A lot of people assume that running water while running the disposal will help the contents to flush through better, but really this is not helpful. It could even cause food to stick to the blades of the disposal, creating damage.
Sometimes, the plumber is chosen by an insurance company without your input, but you can look them up online anyway. In some cases, your insurance company may select a plumber for you, but you can still research the company online.
If sewage is backed up in your toilet, it’s most likely the result of a sever blockage of the branch line that connects the sewage line and main line. If you cannot handle the problem on your own, then seek out a professional to come over and clear it.
As the winter months encroach on your home, check your outdoor faucets for dripping and leaking. If your faucets are dripping, you must fix them before the first freeze. Regardless of the material of your particular pipes, whether it be copper, steel or plastic, water pressure from freezing water will cause pipes to crack. The tiniest cracks might create water damage or cause water to flood into your house.
After reading this article, you should be a little excited to start handling plumbing projects on your own. Hopefully the tips you have just read will help you get positive results. If you cannot fix something, look for more information or consider calling a professional.