What do you know about plumbing? Do you want to know more? How does your plumbing skill set look? If you’re not satisfied with your responses to any of these questions, the following hints and tips can help.
To keep your pipes from getting frozen, always maintain a temperature in the house above freezing and make sure all pipes exposed to outside elements are insulated properly. The pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature drops below freezing. If they freeze, it will be awhile for them to gradually warm. Therefore, it will take some time for you to have running water again. In the worst case, the pipes would burst, and you would be stuck with costly repairs and a very messy cleanup procedure.
Do not pay your plumber until they finish the job. You may have to put money down before they start working, but avoid paying the total amount until it’s done. If you pay everything up front, you have no recourse if the plumber doesn’t finish the job or doesn’t do it correctly.
If your garbage disposal is having problems, don’t give in to the desire to attempt a fix by reaching down into the disposal. Even when in the off position, garbage disposals are dangerous. Search online for a troubleshooting manual for your disposal.
Make sure there is a strainer covering all drains in order to collect particles that would cause a clog if they went down the drain. Kitchen sink strainers should be cleaned every time they collect large food particles. Bathtubs should be equipped with strainers as well, and they too will need to be cleaned regularly.
Think about what plumbing work you need, then schedule them all at once. You might be tempted to call the plumber every time you need something fixed, but if you wait and hire the plumber for a single visit, you can save up money for repairs. Also, combining smaller jobs into one larger job lets the plumber finish his work faster and therefore saves you money.
Ensure that your sink’s overflow holes are clear. If your sink starts to overflow, the water will run into the overflow holes, this might not be a huge issue, unless they are clogged. When checking for potential problems and repairs, you should also remove obstructions from the overflow holes.
To limit toilet problems, don’t use it as a trash can. Avoid flushing pads, cotton, towels, tissues or anything that cannot dissolve easily to avoid plugging the pipes. As well, use just enough toilet paper to clean yourself!
Take preventative measures to keep your plumbing costs low. Clogs are one of the main reasons people have to call a plumber. Hair is a common material in drain clogs. A great way to help prevent those clogs is to install a screen on top of the drain. Just make sure that it properly fits your drain. You can remove hair much easier from a screen as opposed to getting it out of the inside of a pipe.
Do you now feel more knowledgeable where plumbing is concerned? Do you have a better idea of the kind of system your home has? Do you feel you have become more adept at plumbing? Can you use components to your plumbing system now? Are you knowledgeable on how to use the equipment properly? Remember these tips to learn how to do plumbing yourself.
