Tag Archives: Homeowner

Plumbing Tips That Every Homeowner Can Use (2)

March 01, 2024   Matt

Plumbing Tips That Every Homeowner Can Use

Doing your own plumbing can be an important part of your home improvement. You need to do all of your research, so that you don’t wind up losing a ton of money or destroying your home and your stuff. There are some tips listed here to help you begin with it.

In any DIY plumbing project, make sure that you always test the drains and the supply lines before you close up the walls. It is a lot easier to find and solve problems if you look for them while you are still in the process of actively doing the job.

Make sure you allow a slow drip over the night when you experience the coldest of winter weather. A general rule to follow is, if there is snow on the ground, leave the water dripping. This keeps a constant flow and reduces your risk of waking up to frozen pipes that can cause a great deal of damage.

To avoid clogs, pay attention to what you flush. Sanitary napkins, thick toilet paper and baby wipes should never be flushed. These items can expand and cause a clog, or get caught on a pipe. Instead, dispose of them in a sanitary way that does not involve flushing them down the toilet.

If you drop a small item like a ring or earring into a sink drain, hope is not lost. By carefully removing the U-shaped trap underneath the sink, you can probably retrieve the item. Be aware that the trap will be full of water, though, so have something under it to catch the spills.

Do not put your hand in the garbage disposal to remove a clog. This can be potentially harmful. Always use tongs to get out whatever is stuck in the disposal. Using tongs is much safer, and you will make sure your hand does not get cut on the disposer’s sharp blades.

If you hear loud, vibrating noises coming from your pipes, you may want to consider adding air chambers to the end of the pipes and tightening them. Usually, these noises are caused from opening and closing faucets too quickly and tightening the pipes and adding air chambers can fix this problem.

Don’t shrug off that trickle coming from your toilet as a small problem. Even the tiniest leak can be quite expensive in the long run as you end up wasting potentially hundreds of gallons of water. See if you can find the root of the leak, or seek out professional advice, and keep your toilet running efficiently.

Avoid frozen pipes this winter! Keep a small trickle of water dripping from faucets, and wrap your uninsulated pipes with foam or newspaper. If possible, keep the doors open between unheated and heated rooms. In an unheated area such as a garage or laundry room, keep a small heater next to the pipes. Remember to do this before the first cold snap hits.

Doing your own plumbing can be very rewarding, but it can also be a lot of work. Regardless, if you know what to do and how to do your plumbing properly. So, do yourself a favor by doing your research and applying these tips to your home plumbing endeavors.

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Handy DIY Plumbing Tips For The Homeowner

June 30, 2023   Matt

Handy DIY Plumbing Tips For The Homeowner

This is going to be one of the best resources available for you to learn more about plumbing. There might be a lot of resources available both on and offline, however we have gathered the best information in this article and sorted out the obvious or incorrect advice that you may find elsewhere.

If the hot water heater in your house is over ten years old, you should look at replacing it. Hot water heaters are very susceptible to corrosion on the bottom. This can lead to leaking and flooding whatever room it is in. Then not only will you have to replace it, but you’ll have to fix any damage caused by the leak.

When it comes to plumbing an ounce of prevention is the best thing to prevent things from going haywire. In order to prevent clogging avoid doing things that would clog drains. Do not pour oil down the kitchen sink, and install hair catching filters in all your bath tubs. This will prevent a lot of unnecessary clogs.

Check your toilet for leaks. Once a month, put a couple of drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. After half an hour, check the toilet bowl. If the water is slightly colored, the tank is leaking. You can fix the leak by replacing the stopper in the tank. People waste a lot of water through leaky tanks, without even knowing it.

When you are using your disposal you should always run cold water not hot water. You should run the cold water as long as the motor to the disposal is running. Always avoid overloading your disposal. Things like corn husks, onion skins, celery and other high fiber foods could clog your disposal.

Avoid the bursting of pipes due to the change in the temperature. You need to allow the flow of heat to reach under the sinks and into the pipes, you have to keep the cabinet doors of the bathrooms and kitchens open. It is important to keep water running at both hot and cold faucets along with vanities that are in close proximity to exterior walls.

If you’re connecting a new gas appliance in your home you absolutely need to have the right connector to add it to your gas plumbing. Universal connection kits are readily available at home improvement stores which will make the connection between your flexible hose and the iron supply pipe tight and safe.

If you are having any kind of problems with your water line or plumbing in general then you will first want to cut of your water supply. One of the most common mistakes that people make is to leave their water running while they are trying to fix things and this leads to bigger problems.

In conclusion, it is important that you know how to take care of plumbing, but it is more important that you get your data from a reliable source. Use the great advice provided here and you will be more than happy that you took the time to do so.

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Solid Plumbing Advice For The Do-It-Yourself Homeowner (4)

April 21, 2022   Matt

Solid Plumbing Advice For The Do-It-Yourself Homeowner

You need to have some knowledge of what to look for and expect from doing your own plumbing. You need to know what resources are available to you and who can provide you answers as to what you need for your future plumbing jobs. The tips below can help you with how to start.

Do not shock yourself! Water and electricity do not mix well! If you are working with both electrical and plumbing issues at the same time, then you must avoid crossing them. Beware! The two together can be deadly! When water and electricity are mixed, the risk of getting a shock can be incredibly high, as well as deadly.

You always want to solder correctly, the biggest mistake most people make when soldering is failing to get the interior of the fitting and the exterior of the pipe clean and shiny. Polish these surfaces with a fine emery clot until bright. When soldering, never heat the pipe, but instead heat the fitting. Doing so allows the solder to be drawn into the fitting by capillary action.

To avoid plumbing disasters in your kitchen, never place hard-to-grind, stringy, fibrous waste, such as poultry skins, banana peels, carrots, celery, or cantaloupe pulp, into the garbage disposer. The disposer can’t sufficiently grind these food products and they will clog your sink drain. You should also run cold water down the drain for about 15 seconds before and after using the garbage disposer to flush the waste down the main drain.

If you have hard water, check intake hoses for washing machines and ice makers often to prevent them from splitting open from buildup. Lime scale remover can be used to remove buildup, but replacing hoses is an economical method as well to take care of the issue. Change out hoses when you change the batteries in your smoke alarms to stop unexpected floods.

NEVER dump grease or oil down your drains! They both turn solid when they’re cold and can clog up your drains, especially in the kitchen and bathroom where other items end up going down the sink and creating blocks. Let it cool, instead, and throw it out in the trash.

During the winter, preventing frozen pipes when you live in a small dwelling can be something good to know. Frozen pipes will not only stop your flow of water but can crack and damage pipes. By running a little water out of every faucet during the coldest parts of the day, you can avoid this.

Run your washing machine when it has a full load of clothes so that you can maximize the efficiency of the water that you use. You do not want to waste water, as this will lead to a higher water bill and can cause wear and tear to your machines internal components.

As you have seen in the above tips, there is a lot of knowledge you can acquire before starting to do your own plumbing and it’s this knowledge that can help you with your future plumbing jobs. Do everything you must to find out what you need to get started.

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Solid Plumbing Advice For The Do-It-Yourself Homeowner

April 03, 2022   Matt

Solid Plumbing Advice For The Do-It-Yourself Homeowner

Plumbing can imply a lot of different connotations depending upon whom you ask or talk to about it. We all know that it’s essential to your home, but that doesn’t mean that you should neglect it or just leave it to a pro. Take some time to learn how to do it yourself using the tips below.

Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.

Be sure that you shut off your drain lines and outside faucets when the weather gets colder. Cold weather, snow, and ice can cause these lines to freeze up, which can cause damage to them. If you can, try to have these shut off before the first frost of the year.

Don’t start any do-it-yourself plumbing project without having a plan in place. You need to know beforehand exactly what you are getting yourself into. Know what kind of space you are working with and what lines are which. Getting a clear picture early on will make your plumbing project go a lot smoother!

Check your water meter frequently to detect if there is a leak in your pipeline. If you are not using a lot of water during a period of time and your water meter rises, this can be a clear indication of a leak. Replace leaks as soon as possible to prevent further plumbing issues.

Insulate all of the pipes in your home that run along an exterior wall to prevent them from freezing. This step is not going to cost you a lot of money, but it is going to save you quite a bit of damage by preventing pipe freezes. It is easy and cheap to do and should be done as soon as possible.

You need to winter-proof your house. You have to make sure you switch of the master circuit breaker or the shut-off valve before you leave your house. Since one small hole or congested water can quickly freeze and cause pipes to break and expand, you need to drain and open all outdoor and household water lines.

When facing temperatures below freezing in the winter it is important to leave the hot water dripping. This makes sure that the pipes don’t freeze over and saves you the expensive repair of fixing and or entirely replacing a broken pipe. The slight cost of dripping hot water is well worth saving you from that large expense of replacing a broken pipe.

It’s true that plumbing should be of utmost importance when it comes to home improvement. That said, you should not just leave it until there is a problem and then call a pro. You can learn to take care of it yourself and hopefully these tips gave you advice on how to do that.

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Convenient DIY Plumbing Tips For The Homeowner (2 )

October 18, 2020   Matt

Convenient DIY Plumbing Tips For The Home owner

Your plumbing system, like you as well as your family members, is a fundamental part of your residence. Just like you, it needs to be dealt with. You require to look into all type of strategies and devices and discover what benefit your plumbing job. These pointers below can assist you with that said.

Work with plumbing technicians that use level rates. When a plumbing technician is charging by the hr, they do not have a motivation to get the task done promptly. It is human nature to go just a little slower if it’ll mean additional cash in our pockets. If you can not find a person that charges per job make certain that you are watchful in enjoying the clock and also their work.

When replacing any kind of PVC kind pipes in your house, see to it you get the appropriate PVC for the work. PVC is available in a number of different dimensions and grades as well as for various temperature level applications. If the water undergoing the pipes is headed for the kitchen or shower room, or is for washing or gardening use, it has to be classified as “Drinkable.”.

Always keep a garbage can in the washroom to make sure that you can throw away cotton swabs, facial pads, and hair. Do not place these materials in the toilet as they can trigger obstructions in time and also interrupt your water circulation. These products will not dissolve or damage down when submerged in water.

Be sure to have a running toilet fixed as quickly as you can. Having a running toilet utilizes more water, which raises your water expense. To repair it yourself, you just have to discover what the issue is as well as buy the supplies you need. If you can not repair it on your own, call a plumber.

Periodically you should inspect your toilet for leakages. An excellent way to look for leaks would certainly be to put food coloring, Kool-Aid, or perhaps coffee in the storage tank, anything that will certainly tint the water will certainly work. You must check your toilet bowl in a bit, and also if there is color in the bowl, your commode is dripping as well as the stopper and/or flush valve might need altered.

If you believe you recognize what is wrong with your commode, yet aren’t certain, you need to initially do some even more research on the internet. Most plumbing problems are relatively typical, as well as you must have the ability to check out the issue in great information on numerous amateur plumber online forums to make certain you comprehend the problem.

If you have a plumbing headache and also your residence obtains flooded, avoid using warmth as well as heat lights to dry the home out. Allow it dry naturally if you can since the added warmth can cause issues. When building products dry as well quick, they can warp as well as fracture causing a lot more damages than simply the water.

Doing your own plumbing guarantees that if anything takes place to it, you can repair it. Comparable to caring for your family members, it is actually crucial that you look after your plumbing system. So, do on your own a favor as well as do your research study and also apply the above pointers to your plumbing tasks.

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Solid Plumbing Recommendations For The Do-It-Yourself Homeowner (2 )

August 19, 2020   Matt

Solid Plumbing Guidance For The Do-It-Yourself Property owner

If you’re a property owner not familiar with plumbing, you’re probably aware of the experience of being billed an arm as well as a leg for what appears like a basic plumbing fixing. If you wish to prevent this experience once more, keep reading for some advice and also ideas on how to repair your very own plumbing.

Inspect your gas hot water heater periodically to ensure the pilot fire is lit. The proper color for this fire ought to be blue. The tip of the flame ought to be yellow. If you discover that you are only seeing a yellow fire, you may need to call an expert for safety and security factors.

You definitely have to make use of sealant on a joint unless it has actually been glued or soldered. Sealant tape is simple to make use of and also will develop an incredibly limited fit, so pick the appropriate one for the task. Blue tape is for sealing a connection for water, and yellow tape is for gas joints.

If you have an underground leakage in your pipes, it is possible to spot the leakage before digging. Today’s leak discovery devices is extremely innovative as well as modern-day, permitting professionals to spot as well as identify specifically where leakages are prior to they deal with trying to repair them with professional grade tools for you.

Do not shock on your own! Water and electrical energy do not mix well! If you are collaborating with both electrical and also plumbing issues at the same time, then you should prevent crossing them. Beware! The 2 together can be dangerous! When water and also electrical power are mixed, the risk of obtaining a shock can be unbelievably high, in addition to fatal.

Check your taps for leakages. Check the knobs and the tap itself. Hundreds of gallons of water a day can be squandered because of leaks which’s bad if you’re paying your water costs. By quiting a leakage currently, you can conserve yourself a great deal of cash. Leakages can grow over time too, so prevent a calamity as well as examine all faucets for leakages!

Once in awhile you should examine your commode for leakages. An excellent way to look for leakages would be to put food coloring, Kool-Aid, or even coffee in the tank, anything that will certainly tint the water will function. You should examine your commode dish in a little bit, as well as if there is shade in the bowl, your commode is leaking and the stopper and/or flush valve might require transformed.

Make certain overflow openings are cleansed out. This can aid to protect against any type of water damages. Overflow holes are a way to stop water from overruning if a sink is left on by accident. If the overflow hole is clogged it will certainly not be able to do its work.

Plumbing isn’t as hard as it can seem, when you have access to great information as well as recommendations about just how to tackle solving your own plumbing problems. Next time you have plumbing problems in your residence, attempt applying the suggestions from this write-up as well as see if you can conserve some cash by resolving it yourself!

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