Created by-Christiansen Cummings
You've done it. You're ready to handle your home's plumbing maintenance and repair. What perfect timing! You probably have tons of questions on how to start and what to do, but fear not, this article can help you. Listed below are some tips that will help you get started with your plumbing aspirations.
Keep your plumbing flowing by maintaining a temperature above 32 degrees and wrapping up any exposed pipe works. But, be advised that your pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature near those pipes is less than freezing. It can take a while for the pipes to thaw, which means you will not be able to run water for quite some time. They could also burst costing you a lot of money and repairs.
Look closely at your toilets several times throughout the year. Check to see if there are any leaks that you may not have noticed; you can do this by placing five or six drops of food coloring in the tank. If there is a leak, the color will seep into the bowl within half an hour. This process will help you catch a small problem before it gets too out of control.
When starting a plumbing project that is due to loud noises in your pipes empty the pipes first. This can be an easy fix to an other wise wasted huge job. Just close the main water line and open the facets throughout the house. After the water has stopped flowing turn the water on from the main source and check to see if the noise is eliminated.
To keep things flowing smoothly through the drain of your bathtub, each month you should feed it baking soda, one cup's worth, with a cup of vinegar to chase it. Seal off the drain with a conventional plug or a piece of fabric while the natural chemical reaction takes place. Wait for a little while and then allow boiling water to go down the drain. This should help clear your pipes of accumulated hair and soap scum.
If water is not coming to the dishwasher, you most likely have a blockage somewhere. You will need to turn off the water supply and remove the hose that leads to the dishwasher. After securing  
pop over here , turn the water back on. See if it feeds into a bowl. If not, then you must find the block where it is at which may include removing more piping.
In order to keep your garbage disposal in optimal working condition, run it on a regular basis. Just a simple 60 seconds per day under cold water can keep it running clean and smooth. If not run regularly, your disposal can be susceptible to corrosion that will eventually make it inoperable.
If there is grout stuck in your line, it is most likely going to be a lost cause attempting to clean it all yourself. You can try to break up the grout and send it further down. It works better if you have plastic pipes instead of metal pipes. You might have to get a professional to get rid of this issue.
If you have drains in your house that have not been used for a long period of time, pour one gallon of water through them to keep them functional. Furthermore, this will have the added benefit of reducing any odors from entering your house from lack of use during the year.
Protect you plumbing pipes! If you live in an area which has cold winters and are leaving your home for an extended amount of time, protect your plumbing while you are gone! Shut off the main water valve! Drain the system of water by opening the faucets at the highest and lowest points of the house. Also, make sure that you have left some heat on in the house! Set the thermostat to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is important to clean your faucet's aerator from time to time. Not cleaning it can cause lime buildup, which in turn, could cause water leaks or low water pressure. To clean a aerator, you can unscrew it from the faucet, dip a brush into vinegar, and use the brush to clean it.
Garbage disposals are a common cause of plumbing problems, which is an easy problem to solve. Don't just put everything down the disposal or treat it like a second trash can. Use the disposal things that would be difficult to dispose of normally. Putting all leftover food down the sink is a good way to produce clogs.
Teach your children how to notice plumbing problems. Many parents handle plumbing issues without sharing that information with their children, who grow up not knowing anything about plumbing. Any time you make a small repair or notice a problem, call your kids in and explain what the problem is and what you are going to do. Educate them so they can make good decisions in the future.
Plumbing can be a nightmare, because it can cause a lot of damage to a home. This is easily avoided if you only know one thing. To prevent a small plumbing issue from turning into major water damage, you have to know the exact location of your water register.
To compare the quality of your pipes or sewers over time, create a video for documentation purposes. Several months later, make the same video so that you can see if there are any new cracks or holes that require fixing. This can serve as a great way to analyze your infrastructure.
It is imperative as a homeowner that you know exactly where your main water shut-off valve is located and can operate the valve in case of an emergency. The best first step measure for frozen pipes is to stop water from entering your home in the first place. Locate the main water supply valve and turn it on and off on a regular basis to keep it easily operable in an emergency.
A great way to save a few dollars is to add insulation to your hot water heater. Much of the energy required to heat the water in your home is the expense from keeping the water in the tank hot for when it is needed. Adding an extra layer of insulation can help reduce this cost.
To conserve hot water each day, run your dishwasher late at night. This will help to maintain an adequate water level for your guests and for your chores in the morning or afternoon. Also, you can increase the supply of water available to you for cooking meals throughout the day.
If you notice a leak somewhere in your walls, turn off the water supply, and contact a plumber at once. This usually indicates a serious plumbing problem. These problems could potentially cause flooding as well as mold and mildew, which may be harmful to your health.
In conclusion, it is important that you back yourself up with a great base knowledge of plumbing. Ideally,  
need a plumber  were able to find this article both informative and interesting. Use this great information and you will find that you will save a lot of money, as opposed to having to hire a professional.