If plumbing is something that can have you stumped, you probably know how expensive it is to have it done professionally. You also may have to wait for a plumber to arrive when there's a problem happening now! Don't let this happen, read on for tips on solving your own plumbing problems!
If any water pipe that you have freezes, be sure to turn on the faucet that is closes to the pipe to give the water an exit as the pipe thaws. This will relive some of the pressure, and could prevent cracks from appearing.
You should clean your septic tank every five years! This will stop any buildup in your septic tank and prevent any horrible issues. Pumping a septic tank might cost a lot of money, but it will cost your more money to clean any back up in sewage you may have had, and replacing your septic tank costs even more!!
If you have issues with the plumbing making a hammering sound when you turn it off, check your water pressure. Any time your water pressure is above 80 PSI, you will hear extra water noise. This can be easily solved by the installation of a pressure-reducing valve, which can be done by most homeowners.
If your toilet is slow to flush, add some white vinegar to the overflow tube. White vinegar helps the water from your tank to flow quickly, which will make the toilet flush faster. It is recommended that you use about a quart of the vinegar and let it stay there for at least an hour before flushing.
Regularly check your overflow holes to make sure they're not clogged. You may not even notice the overflow holes on your sink, but if you have a major water leak you will soon regret your apathy. Clean overflow holes as part of your annual maintenance, and any other time you are handling general plumbing repairs.
Set the temperature on your hot water heater to a temperature that does not exceed 120 degrees. This helps to save energy and prevents the water from becoming too hot and potentially scalding someone in your household. Older models that do not have a temperature setting should be set on Medium.
Your water heater works more during the fall and winter so make sure that you eliminate all sediment buildup around this piece of equipment. Flushing this device can lead to increased longevity so that you do not face plumbing problems during the winter. This precaution will save time, money and effort.
Make sure that your tool box is ready for any project you are preparing to do. The last thing you want is to be knee deep in a job only to find that you are missing the one tool you need to finish. Be sure to have various sizes of pipe wrenches that can be used to complete any job.
One costly plumbing repair is frozen pipes. Fortunately, such damage is easy to prevent. First, make sure that your outside pipe are insulated well. And when the temperatures start dropping, you will want to drain your hoses and disconnect them, and then turn off all of the outside faucets. This can save some serious money on pipe repairs over time.
Before embarking on a plumbing project, make sure that you're aware of where the shutoff valve for water in your home is, as well as the valves for shutting off individual structures like sinks, toilets, etc. This way, if something goes wrong, you'll be able to stop the water flow.
If you have a lot of hair in your shower drain, be sure to get a stopper and put it in the drain. This will catch the hair from going down the drain, which can clog it. Just make sure that you remove hair that is already in the drain before using the stopper.
In the winter months, if you live somewhere where temperatures fall below freezing, leave your faucets on a little bit to let a thin stream of water through. This will help prevent the pipes from freezing, which could be a major problem for you and all the pipes in your home.
As the weather turns frosty, make sure faucets outside are not dripping or leaking. If your faucets are dripping, you must fix them before the first freeze. Both plastic and metal pipes are susceptible to bursting when they freeze. Even the most minute crack can cause a big enough leak to create flooding or water damage and mold in your home.
Be sure to have a running toilet fixed as soon as you can. Having a running toilet uses more water, which raises your water bill. To fix it yourself, you just have to find out what the problem is and buy the supplies you need. If you can't fix it yourself, call a plumber.
Plumbing choices can come in many ways. One decision you need to make as a homeowner is to purchase a tank-less water heater. One thing to remember if you are considering a tank-less heater. You will pay two to three times more than if you purchase a tank heater.
As you can see, there's no reason to pay so much just to wait for a plumber to come and fix a problem that you could be working on yourself. Applying the tips in this article can save you time and money next time your plumbing needs to be repaired.
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