Everyone who owns a home knows how common plumbing problems can be. You’ll find them in the bathroom, kitchen, or basement, but hopefully not in the walls! Plumbing issues can be extremely expensive, especially if they are not handled immediately. Here are some helpful plumbing tips in case you find yourself in that situation, or any other situation where you will need to do some plumbing work.
Don’t pay the entire plumbing bill upfront; wait until the plumber finishes the plumbing job. Sometimes it is required to put a little money down before the job starts, but don’t ever pay the whole amount before you know the task is done correctly. You want to know the plumber has fulfilled all his requirements as promised in the agreement before he gets paid.
You should avoid using blue toilet tablets, bleach tablets or any other odor removers in your toilet. While they may be effective deodorizers, they can damage rubber parts in your toilet. If they become too damaged, your toilet will not operate properly.
If you have a clogged toiled with a lower water lever, and the plunger isn’t working, try pouring in some warm water directly into the toilet. After the water level in the toilet bowl has gone down, you can repeat the procedure until the blockage is cleared.
Position a strainer over all drains to collect any particles that would otherwise go down the drain and possibly cause a stoppage. Clean the kitchen sink strainer any time something collects in it. Keep the bathroom drains cleaned out too.
If your house uses well water and you start to see orange or pink stains in your tub and other water fixtures, you have too much iron in your water. A water softener is the easiest way to solve hard water problems relating to rust, but you can also consult a plumber if you are unsure.
Have all your plumbing needs scheduled all at once. You may want to have each minor problem attended to as the occur, but having multiple repairs done at once allows you to save up for the cost. This can save you money since plumbers generally charge hourly, as they can’t charge multiple hours per trip if it’s only one trip out.
To minimize potential problems with your toilet, avoid using it as a trash receptacle. Avoid flushing pads, cotton, towels, tissues or anything that cannot dissolve easily to avoid plugging the pipes. Use the least amount of toilet paper you can when you use the toilet, too.
In order to keep your plumbing bills as low as possible, keep in mind prevention is key. Clogs are one of the main reasons people have to call a plumber. You can clog your drains with hair. Stop hair from going down drains with a drain cover or screen designed for this purpose. It is easier to take hair off a screen than to clear it from a pipe.
When you have a problem with the plumbing, the worst thing to do is not be prepared. All homeowners should know the basics of plumbing. If you do have a plumbing problem in the future, the pointers you learned in this article will help you to deal with it.
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