Plumbing difficulties can be a huge problem for homeowners. There can be a long wait time for a professional plumber, and you can pay a lot of money for something that can be fixed without that much trouble. Read the following article to learn how you can make plumbing problems easier.
You don’t want to end up with frozen pipes, so take preventive action, such as wrapping outside pipes with insulation, and keeping indoor temperatures above freezing at all times. Pipes can freeze when the ambient temperature in the area of the pipes dips below freezing. If you are lucky, you will only experience a minor inconvenience until the pipes thaw. The worst case would be that they burst, creating water damage and a big repair bill.
Septic Tank
Pump your septic tank about once every five years, to make sure it is working well. This stop sedimentary particles from accumulating in the tank, and in the worst cases, flooding your home or making the entire system to fail. 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.
Knowing your tools and how to use them can help greatly in your plumbing experience. Make sure to read all of your manuals, and use things such as the library and the internet to read up on do it yourself projects. Be sure to have a plan ahead of time before trying any type of repair, it could very expensive to fix the mistake.
While various toilet tablets and odor removers may be tempting, it’s best not to use them in your toilet. They can clean the bowl and remove odors, but they also damage the soft plastic and rubber parts in and around your toilet.
If you have multiple plumbing problems, schedule all of them to be fixed together. You might be tempted to have a plumber come out for every little thing that happens, but kicking the can on some issues until you have a list means you can save a few bucks. You will also save because plumbers usually charge hourly rates, so hours they can charge you are reduced if there is only one trip made.
Keep your bathtub drain running well by pouring a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain each month. Cover with a rag or plug, as a chemical reaction will occur in the pipes. Flush it with boiling water after a few minutes. This process should open up the pipes by clearing out hair build-up and soap scum.
Always use cold water when your garbage disposal is running. Using cold water not only preserves the sharpness of the blades, but also makes the disposal process itself smoother. When you use hot water, any grease that is in the garbage will melt and be more prone to stopping up your drain.
Installing efficient shower heads could save you a lot of money when it comes to your energy bill. Most of the hot water we use is from showering. Installing the energy-efficient heads, you will be able to save in excess of $100 per year.
Kitchen Sink
If water that is not supposed to be there is in the dishwasher, the likely culprit is a kitchen sink hose not properly attached. The hose that runs from your kitchen sink to your dishwasher needs to be positioned uphill, and then bend back downhill to prevent the water from each device mixing.
In order to keep your plumbing bills as low as possible, keep in mind prevention is key. Drain clogs can be expensive and are actually a major repair, one of the most common ones, too. Practically anything can get stuck in those drains and cause them to lock up, including hair, foreign objects and sediment. You can stop this by using a screen or drain cover that is designed to keep hair out of your drain and pipes. Because the hair is at a place where you can remove it, it saves you from having to call a plumber out to your home.
As you can see, plumbing problems don’t have to be so difficult. If you can solve the problem yourself, you can save time waiting for a plumber, as well as saving a whole lot of money. Try applying what you’ve learned from this article next time you have a plumbing problem!
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