Sudden or ongoing plumbing problems can damage your home as well as your belongings. Here are some tips to help you begin fixing whatever plumbing problems you may need help with.
If your pipes are making a racket, there is a simple way to quiet them down. Those pipes will need to be anchored if they are exposed. You might want to contact a professional when the pipes are hard to access.
If you have a water pipe that freezes, have the tap closest to it turned on so the water can exit while the pipe thaws. This relieves the pressure contained in the pipe as it also prevents it from bursting, which would reduce the damage done to your house.
Do not pay your plumber until they finish the job. You may have to pay a portion of the cost before the plumber works on the job, but you should never have to pay in full until after everything has been correctly finished. This ensures that the plumber fully completes the job before getting paid.
Get to know the tools and how they are used for the most success in plumbing. So be sure to read through all your manuals as well as research as much as you can on the internet where you can gain information to help you with your projects. Plan thoroughly before attempting a repair. Mistakes can be very expensive to fix.
Don’t use bleach tablets, odor removers or those blue tablets in your toilet. These products will reduce the smell, but they will also cause problems with the rubber gaskets. Over time, the damage will accumulate and could eventually stop the toilet from functioning at all.
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. You could repeat this process again if the water in the toilet bowl gets low.
Never use your bare hands to try fixing your garbage disposal. Even if the disposal is turned off, it can still be hazardous. Hire a professional, or at least find your owner’s manual to look at a diagram of the disposal. Many owner’s manuals are available online, and may even contain interactive troubleshooters.
Floor Damage
Check for floor damage around your toilet. If the floor around your toilet feels softer than the rest of the floor in your bathroom, there’s damage you need to address. Stand over the toilet, then rock it back and forth to see if any weakening in the floor has occurred. It’s important to catch and address floor damage problems as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more expensive the repair will be.
Make sure there is a strainer covering all drains in order to collect particles that would cause a clog if they went down the drain. Clean the kitchen sink strainer any time something collects in it. Those in the bathtub should be cleaned out periodically, as needed.
Don’t skimp on quality when it’s time to replace that shower head. Many times, people think it is okay to buy the cheapest shower head that they can find. Cheap shower heads have a tendency to break easily, so make sure you get what you pay for.
Let’s face it, if you are not a plumber, you probably can’t solve a plumbing problem without a lot of headaches and hard work. It simply takes research, and in some cases professional advice about what must be done and how to repair a problem correctly. Put the tips you have learned to use and solve your plumbing problems with ease.