Ensuring that your home's plumbing is working properly is an important element of owning a home. When something goes wrong, should you fix it yourself or call a plumber? This article provides some fantastic tips for maintaining and fixing your home plumbing.
Your septic tank should be pumped out at least once every five years if you want it to stay in optimum working order. This will keep sediment from building and causing backup into the house, and possibly causing the septic system to fail. It is a small price to pay now to keep your septic in good working order and prevent having to pay for a major repair caused by a backup.
If your toilet's water level is low, the toilet is clogged up, and using a plunger isn't resolving the issue, hold a bucket filled with warm water at about your waistline, and pour it into your toilet. Once the water level is low again, you may repeated this procedure.
If your garbage disposal is giving you problems, never stick your hand in it to fix it yourself. Even when in the off position, garbage disposals are dangerous. Research your disposal online to locate a detailed diagram or troubleshooting guide for your model.
Make sure all the work on your plumbing is scheduled at one time. It can be tempting to call a plumber each time you have a minor problem, but saving plumbing work for one time allows you to put money aside for the repairs. Most plumbers charge an hourly fee that can be minimized if there is only one visit to your home.
Pour equal parts baking soda followed by vinegar down your bathtub drain once a month. Cover with a rag or plug, as a chemical reaction will occur in the pipes. Let that sit for a while, and then run boiling hot water down it. This simple solution can break up clogs caused by everything from hair to soap scum.
Run cold water through your garbage disposal. Blades will stay sharper with cold water, making disposal quicker. Hot water is not recommended because of what it does to greasy products.
Clean the lint trap in your dryer. This will save a ton of trouble for you, it will also prevent fires. Inspect your lint trap often to see if there are any tears or holes. If there are, you can have lint getting into your pipes, and this will clog them and give you more problems that will have to be dealt with.
An expensive plumbing issue to pay for repairs is when your pipes freeze. Fortunately, you can generally prevent your pipes from freezing. The first thing you should do is ensure your outside pipes are thoroughly wrapped or insulated. Also, when it starts to get colder, drain and disconnect your hoses and turn off the outside faucet. A bit of prevention prevents a costly plumbing bill.
If you have grout caught in your line, it's most likely impossible for you to clean yourself. You can try breaking it up to have it fall further which will help the flow get better. This works much better if your home has pipes made of plastic. Usually, however, you will need to hire a professional for this issue.
Some people say that when you use the garbage disposal you don't have to run the water. Most plumbers advise that you run water when using your garbage disposal, although many disagree. This could actually make the garbage more sticky and cause more issues.
This article should have shown you all the tips and tricks you need to start repairing your plumbing by yourself. By utilizing these tips in your home, you can not only fix your plumbing in an emergency, but you can also cut costs by reducing the need for a professional plumber.
