Water may be the source of all life, but it can also be a nemesis to the frustrated homeowner dealing with plumbing problems. One little mistake can lead to major water damage inside your home, which can end up costing you a small fortune to fix. Luckily, there are many different ways to address plumbing problems before they get bad.
If you know what tools you should use, it can help you deal with your plumbing problems in the right way. Be sure you read everything you can from the manuals, and use different things like the library and internet to learn all the projects that are do it yourself. Make sure you plan before you try any kind of repair, as it can be costly to fix a mistake.
Avoid the use of products for your toilet that help with odor, such as bleach tablets. These things may help improve smells, but they can damage the rubber components of a toiler, which can cause it to function improperly or even worse, completely break down.
If your garbage disposal stops working, never try to fix it by reaching down with your hands. Even when in the off position, garbage disposals are dangerous. Use the web to locate a diagram or users manual for your device.
Check your floors for softness around toilets, so that you can ascertain if there is any floor damage. 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. When you have a problem like this to deal with, the earlier you detect it, the less expensive it will be to take care of.
Try to never pour grease, fat, or any oil-based liquids into your drains. When they cool down, they get hard and that will cause clogs in your sink drains. This is most true if you use a garbage disposal, as the fat causes the blades to function slower and they will become less efficient. To keep your drain running efficiently, dispose of fats and oils in other ways besides pouring them down the drain.
Garbage Disposal
Keep your garbage disposal clean to make sure it lasts for awhile. Keep your garbage disposal fresh and running by using dish soap, cherry pits and lemon rinds regularly.
Maintain smooth functioning of the drain in your bathtub by dropping baking soda and then vinegar down it on a monthly basis. Put a rag over the drain afterward, though, to keep the chemicals from coming back up after the reaction. Let that sit for a while, and then run boiling hot water down it. This procedure should be able to clear pipes of hair and soap scum.
Run cold water through your garbage disposal. Using cold water not only preserves the sharpness of the blades, but also makes the disposal process itself smoother. Grease will stay solid and go through your drain with cold water; you don’t want gooey grease in your pipes.
If water is draining into a dishwasher, it is probably because the hose attached to the sink is not installed correctly. The hose at the kitchen sink going to the dishwasher should follow a specific uphill, then downhill pattern. This prevents unwanted mixing of water between the sink and dishwasher.
If you want to add some water pressure to the shower or any spigot in the home, make sure you clean out the aerator. First, you should remove and disassemble the aerator. Next, clean it with a brush that has been dipped in white vinegar. Rinse the aerator, reassemble it and reattach it to the faucet. This should raise the water pressure nicely because anything that was inside of the aerator will be removed.
Research potential plumbers before hiring one. Certain plumbers may not have the necessary skill or experience to deal with more advanced plumbing jobs, and could make matters worse. Find some reviews of your local plumbers, or ask around to see if anyone has any recommendations or warnings.
If you have a toilet that is backing up, this can be from a blockage. You can run a device through this called a snake to try to clean up the clog. Or you can also purchase some specific drain cleaner and hope that works. If not, you’ll have to call in the professionals.
If you are searching for someone to do your plumbing work, check out the Consumer Affairs Department. You can look at their track record, looking to see whether their license is valid and if they have any complaints lodged against them. If they are not licensed or have complaints, you should choose someone else to do the job.
Many people don’t fully understand plumbing, so they pay whatever the plumber asks for. If you are a homeowner, then you should be sure to educate yourself enough to at least understand what a professional is doing. By gaining this education, you can protect yourself from getting ripped off by a shady plumber.
Don’t just throw any old hot water tank into your water heater. Match the tank size with the heater for maximum efficiency. The size of your hot water tank depends on how often your family uses hot water. The more people living in your house, the bigger the tank should be. Similarly, if you run a lot of appliances that require hot water such as dishwashers and washing machines, you’ll need a bigger hot water tank too.
Knowing how plumbing works, having a good idea of how to fix things, and keeping basic plumbing materials at hand will help avoid major plumbing problems. The savvy homeowner who takes the time to learn even a little about plumbing is better able to make good decisions while avoiding plumbing situations that could become dangerous. Indeed, those who proactively understand plumbing issues are far more likely to be able to solve a problem as soon as it occurs.