Tag Archives: Plumbing

What You Need To Know About Plumbing (2)

March 11, 2024   Matt

What You Need To Know About Plumbing

Did you know that loose pipes might be responsible for the hammering sounds in your plumbing? If this interests you, you might wish to check out all of the other great information in this article. Take a few minutes and learn all you can learn about plumbing today.

If you are not able to shut off a main valve to your home before you leave for vacation, shut off the individual valves under the sinks and behind the toilets. Be sure that the valves are in good working order before you make the mistake of turning one that is ready to be broken at any time.

Sometimes in the case of minor and or major emergencies we all have to become Mr. Fix it ourselves. If you’ve got blockage in your drains the first step is to try a commercial de-clogger like Drano. Simply pour it down the drain, wait ten minutes, and presto, your drain should be clear.

When getting an estimate from a contractor on a job, make sure to ask how long the written estimate is good for. For big jobs you usually want to get estimates from a few different plumbers. Knowing how long your estimate is valid will help you know what your time limit is for making a decision on who to hire.

If you call a plumber to your home to fix a problem, inform the plumber of any chemicals or drain openers that you have added to the drain. This gives the plumber the opportunity to prepare for chemical exposure in the event that he or she comes into contact with water from inside the pipes.

If you’re planning on connecting galvanized steel to copper pipes you need to use a dielectric union to make sure that the steel doesn’t corrode. It is made of both steel and copper and will ensure that the union is tight, safe, and lasts as long as your house is standing.

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.

Basic problems with toilets can be a quick fix for even the rawest amateur plumber and is worth attempting if you can take the time to research the problem. Seek out the necessary part or parts from your local hardware store and ask for support in how to properly install them.

When dealing with a clogged drain and no snake is available, use a hanger to clear the clog. By straightening the hanger and bending a small hook at the end, you can create a long enough tool for most drains. Slide the hangar in as deep as possible and poke in and out repeatedly till the clog is cleared.

In conclusion, there could be simple or difficult reasons for problems with your plumbing. Those scary noises from your basement might just be from something as simple as loose pipes. Use the great advice provided here so that you can identify and resolve all of your plumbing issues.

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Fixing Leaky Faucets And Other Minor Plumbing Issues Yourself. (2)

March 06, 2024   Matt

Fixing Leaky Faucets And Other Minor Plumbing Issues Yourself.

Did you know that loose pipes might be responsible for the hammering sounds in your plumbing? If this interests you, you might wish to check out all of the other great information in this article. Take a few minutes and learn all you can learn about plumbing today.

Make sure everyone in your home knows where the main water shut off valve is and that they know how to work it. That way, if there is a water problem, anyone in your household can turn off the water, thereby reducing the chances that your home will incur major water damage.

Avoid using hard cleaners on your toilets, such as drop-in cleaner tabs in the tank. When these tabs are almost completely dissolved, what’s left of the tab gets washed into the bowl. This can then end up clogging the toilet’s port holes, preventing the toilet from flushing properly. It can take months for this debris to finish dissolving in those holes.

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.

To avoid sediment buildup, drain gallons of water from your water heater to flush any corrosion. This will help your heater to run more efficiently therefore saving you regular energy costs. Make sure to read your heater’s instructions before attempting this, and do this periodically to make sure that your heater is running as well as it can.

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.

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.

Check for leaks behind the wall tile in your bathroom, especially any tile surrounding your bathtub, by gently pressing each tile and feeling for some give. If you find any mushy or soft spots, you will need to find the source of the leak and repair it to prevent further damage.

To prepare for the cold weather, properly drain all outside faucet bibs and turn off the water supply to those faucets. A piece of foam taped to the outside bib can provide excellent insulation to prevent any remaining water from freezing or splurge for a specialty cover that comes complete with velcro closures.

In conclusion, there could be simple or difficult reasons for problems with your plumbing. Those scary noises from your basement might just be from something as simple as loose pipes. Use the great advice provided here so that you can identify and resolve all of your plumbing issues.

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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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Great Advice For Successful Plumbing In Your Home (3)

February 25, 2024   Matt

Great Advice For Successful Plumbing In Your Home

When it comes to plumbing, you want to make sure that you are getting the best advice available. Use the tips and tricks provided in this article to ensure that you are getting reliable information to use at home and it will not lead to further, unwanted costs down the road.

DIY plumbing jobs will require that you understand how to solder copper for the lines for the water supply. You can practice this skill so that you will be able to run your lines without worrying about it leaking. Search online for video tutorials that can help you get a handle on how to go about soldering.

Unblock your waste disposal unit. Fats, cooking oils, and high fiber food materials can block your disposal system. Reach under the sink, and using an Allen wrench, insert it into the hole at the base of the waste disposal. Turn back and forth until it moves freely. You can then use tongs to remove anything that is clogging the unit.

Check to make sure that the walls behind the tiles in your bathroom are not soft. Push into the tiles to confirm that the foundation is firm and robust. If the area is delicate and brittle, there is a good chance that water has created damage behind the tiles over time.

Do not pour hot grease down your kitchen drains. It can build up in the pipes and cause your plumbing to back up. Allow the grease to cool in your pan or in a can and then dispose of it in the garbage. This consideration is going to reduce the amount of backups that occur in your kitchen sink.

If you have a water pressure or fill problem throughout the whole house, do not panic. It could be the simplest of solutions. Sometimes the city flushes their systems, breaking up debris and sending it to homes. This requires cleaning drains effectively and strainers in order to resolve the problem.

Use your garbage disposal with the cold water running so that you can preserve the blades of the disposal. Using hot water makes grease more liquid and can cause problems, including clogs. Make sure to clean blades by putting in a little dish detergent and run cold water at the same time.

In order to keep your shower and bath tub drains in proper working order, try pouring a potful of boiling water into the drain at least every other week. Using this approach will clear out the constant hair and soapscum build-up that may occur even if you have installed a drain screen.

You should try using a plumbing snake or plumber to unclog a clog. Liquid cleaners that are meant to unclog the clogs in a drain could ruin the pipes. You should also use strainers to catch hair so that it doesn’t go down the drain and get clumped and clog your drain.

In conclusion, it is important that you back yourself up with a great base knowledge of plumbing. Ideally, you 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.

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You Can Teach Yourself To Handle Plumbing Problems 4

February 15, 2024   Matt

You Can Teach Yourself To Handle Plumbing Problems

Most people are unaware that plumbing is something that just about anybody can do. It can be a daunting idea at first, but after you learn the basics, it can actually be pretty easy. Use this article as a guide to help you with any plumbing issues that might come up.

Make sure that you avoid throwing fats down the drain after you clean up your meal. Fats can solidify over time which can cause a drainage problem and corrupt your water flow. Throw out fats and different types of cooking oils in the garbage after you finish with your meal.

If you ever put food down the garbage disposer after a meal, make sure that you run cold water for about 15 seconds to help drain the excess debris. This will help in flushing out the excess particles down your drain, which otherwise, can build up and cause a clog, eventually.

Never pour grease into the kitchen sink. Pouring grease into your kitchen sink is the best way to clog up the pipes, at which point it will be very difficult to penetrate the grease to stop the clog without a bit of a cost involved. You should expose of grease appropriately without exception.

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.

In the winter time to avoid your pipes freezing you should insulate them. If the pipes are going to be in a place that is exposed to severely cold weather, you should drain them if they aren’t being used. If the pipes are indoor you should open up the cupboards under the sink so more heat can get to them.

Frozen and bursting pipes from harsh winter weather is a problem that no-one wants, so plan now to winterize your exterior faucets and pipes against freezing conditions. A simple way to accomplish this is to find the exterior water shut-off valve located inside your home (often located in the basement). Turn off the water valve to stop water flow, and then open up the outside faucets to drain out any water that has collected. Be sure to turn off the outside water faucets tightly after the water has drained out. Take in any hoses you may have outside so they don’t crack from the cold weather.

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, you do not want to find yourself stuck paying for a large bill given to you by your local plumber when it was a task that you could have easily taken care of yourself. Use this article in order to establish a firm base knowledge of plumbing and what you can do.

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It Is Important To Know A Little Bit About Plumbing (5)

February 10, 2024   Matt

It Is Important To Know A Little Bit About Plumbing

Plumbing issues are never that easy to deal with, but you will find it is easier to navigate the problem when you have solid advice. Whether you need help diagnosing or putting the project together yourself, these steps will guide you through each process that you will encounter as you take on your home’s plumbing.

As tempting as it may be to try and save on the heating bill, keep your furnace set no lower than 55 degrees over the winter to prevent inside pipes from freezing. If you have pipes located in an excessively cold basement, consider running a space heater in the basement, but only when it can be checked on frequently.

If you have plumbing pipes that are exposed, meaning you can see them as you walk through your basement, you should take the time to insulate them. This can be done easily by wrapping them with foam tubes that slide right over the pipes. This will prevent any damage due to freezing.

If you are in need of a new bathtub, try to get one that is made of porcelain enamel. These kinds of tubs do require precise and proper care, but their advantage is that they are able to withstand the chemicals that are found in many bathtub cleaning products.

Throw coffee grounds in the trash, don’t rinse down the sink. Coffee grounds that are washed down the sink drain can cause severe blockages that will be a challenge to take care of. If you are making coffee, you want to always throw your grinds into the trash to dispose properly.

You should never dump grease, fat, or cooking oil down the drain. These fats and oils could solidify in cold pipes and clog your sink. Instead you should put the fats and oils in a dish and wait for it to solidify, then throw it away for garbage men to pick it up.

Plumbing choices can come in many ways. One decision you need to make as a homeowner is to purchase a tank-less water heater. One thing to remember if you are considering a tank-less heater. You will pay two to three times more than if you purchase a tank heater.

The next time you have a clogged drain, avoid the simple solution of dumping drain-clearing chemicals into the pipes. While this method involves the least amount of effort, the chemicals in these liquid cleaners are destructive to your piping. Instead, consider using a little bit of elbow grease with a plunger, snake, or other device designed to clear your clog without chemicals.

Keep an eye on the grout between tiles in your bathroom. Watch for cracks and areas where the grout seems to be falling out, and repair them immediately. Small grout crack issues can be easily repaired by pulling out the bad and putting in new grout. Allow any new grout to dry completely before exposing it to water.

Plumbing should be taken seriously and when something such as problem occurs, it must be handled right away. Use the tips that you have read, and you can fix the problem by yourself or with the help of a professional, easily and successfully.

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