Learn How To Handle Any Plumbing Problem
When it comes to learning plumbing skills, there's no time like the present. You may have thought of doing it before, but never had the time to do so. The advice in the following article will help you to better understand plumbing, and give you the ability to solve some plumbing issues on your own.
If your pipes bang when you turn on the water, and all the pipes are anchored correctly, you should add some straps or cushion the pipes with a rubber blanket. There may be times when you will need to do both. Make sure that if you have copper pipes, you are not using galvanized straps.
If a pipe ever freezes, you need to make sure to shut off the water. This will keep the pipe from bursting and causing you major damage to your home. Make sure to shut the water off at the main valve, and then open the faucet that is closest to the frozen pipe so it can drain while it is thawing out.
Don't be afraid to call a professional. Don't take on jobs to save money, if you aren't sure how to fix them. Calling a professional plumber saves you money, the experience and know-how can fix your problem sooner and with less fuss.
Make sure you know where your home's water shutoff is located. You never know when there might be an emergency involving a broken pipe or damaged connection that requires you to turn off the water right away. In addition, knowing where the shutoff is located is vital before you start any plumbing project, in case anything goes wrong.
If you have noisy pipes, you can cushion them with a rubber blanket or add additional anchor straps. Banging pipes are usually caused by loose pipes, water hammering to a stop as you turn it off, or hot water pipes shifting in their position. All of these problems can be solved by cushioning and anchoring the pipes.
Use a hairdryer to thaw frozen pipes, after you shut off the water to the house. A hairdryer will gently heat the pipe and thaw the ice without causing significant damage to the pipe. Shutting off the water first means that if the pipe is broken, there will be no rush of water into the house.
If your toilet happens to be clogged, and the plunger is not working, you can pour a bucket of hot water down the toilet, but be sure to pour it from a height that is waist level or above so you do not flood the bathroom. Once the water is lower, do this again.
Keep grease, fat and oil out of your kitchen drain. These substances will clog the drain as they cool and harden. They'll also muck up your garbage disposal and cause it to be less efficient. Be sure to get rid of oil products away from your sink.
Install screen traps or drain covers on all of your sinks and tub drains. Most home plumbing calls are about clogged pipes. These can be caused by debris, especially hair, washing down the drains. Putting in a trap means that you can clean this debris off before it ends up in the pipes.
There are many ways to unclog a drain. You can try plunging it at first. If that doesn't work try using a chemical agent from the store. Before you go and spend money at the store though, if you have baking soda and some vinegar handy, you can mix those together and pour them in the drain and try to plunge that but if all else fails they have stronger remedies at your local hardware store.
Check overflow holes to make sure there's no clog. These passages allow your sink to fill up without overflowing onto your floor, and if they're blocked that can cause you a major headache. Make sure to clean out the overflow holes each time you do maintenance checks on your sinks.
If water backs up from one sink to another, it is because the lines are connected. The part of the branch line for one device might be higher than another, but most likely there is also a blockage in the branch line connecting the two devices as well. This blockage must be cleaned.
Don't bother running your water when you use the garbage disposal. Most plumbers advise that you run water when using your garbage disposal, although many disagree. Some things can stick to the disposal, and cause it to become damaged beyond repair.
You should be able to understand your plumbing problems well enough to know if you can do it yourself, or if you should hire a plumber. This knowledge will prove useful and can potentially save you much money! Ideally, you found the concepts above both interesting and helpful in your quest to expand your plumbing knowledge.