Plumbing can be very intimidating to someone that has never done it before. It can easily lead to a bit of information overload because of all of the resources available to new plumbers. Below are some tips to assist you in getting all of this information organized to where you can start plumbing correctly.
Use the sounds you hear from your pipes to help you to determine what they problem is. Certain sounds mean the water pressure is too high. Other sounds can signify loose pipes or slight clogs from calcium or iron build up. Listening to your pipes can save you a lot of money hunting down the problem.
As the weather begins to get cold, attend to all of your exposed pipes by adding insulation to them. Pay particular attention to pipes located in crawl spaces and the outside walls of your residence. Taking this step will help ensure that your pipes continue to function throughout the winter.
If you have issues with the plumbing making a hammering sound when you turn it off, check your water pressure. Any time your water pressure is above 80 PSI, you will hear extra water noise. This can be easily solved by the installation of a pressure-reducing valve, which can be done by most homeowners.
In order to avoid unsightly and unnecessary clogs in your shower, invest in a drain strainer. This cost-effective addition to your shower will gather your hair before it makes it to the drain, and limit the chances that you will find yourself showering while standing in a clogged up mess.
To avoid wasting water and having a potentially high water bill, check your home for leaky faucets periodically. Fix any leaks that you find right away. You may be able to do the repair yourself, but if not, you may have to seek the services of a plumber to make the repairs.
Do not use harsh chemicals to clean or treat your toilet. Both of these may help to eliminate odors from your toilet, but it can also damage the rubber parts of your toilet, causing it to not function probably, or even to break down completely.
Install screen traps or drain covers on all of your sinks and tub drains. Most home plumbing calls are about clogged pipes. These can be caused by debris, especially hair, washing down the drains. Putting in a trap means that you can clean this debris off before it ends up in the pipes.
One of the things that you can do to maximize the security of your home is to seal all of the cracks in your outdoor faucets. Even a tiny crack can intensify as the season progresses and lead to serious problems down the road. Reduce drips and leaks for optimal protection.
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.
Never pour grease down the kitchen-sink drain. This will help you avoid clogs in your kitchen sink. Place grease in a can or other receptacles and dispose of in the trash. Grease that has congealed on pots, and pans can be wiped off with paper towels that can be thrown in the trash.
Fix low water pressure by cleaning out the aerator to clean out sediment buildup. Take the aerator apart and clean it with a brush and some vinegar. Rinse the aerator with water, put it back together and then attach it back onto the faucet. This should remove any obstructions that were in the aerator, thereby improving your water pressure.
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.
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.
When you’re going away on a vacation, you should consider shutting off the water supply to your home. This can help stop many problems before they start. If you don’t do this, you should have someone stop by your house regularly to check that nothing has gone wrong and that your home isn’t flooded.
Have a specific plumber in mind before you have an emergency. Most people don’t think about plumbers until they find themselves having a big problem that needs to be fixed right away. Instead, choose a plumber who you are comfortable with and whose experience you trust–way before you actually need his services.
Hopefully, these tips have provided you with some very valuable information, as well as given you a way to organize all of the thoughts and information you may have already had on plumbing. Keeping these tips in mind when you start plumbing can help you to become a very good plumber.
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