Thursday, April 25, 2013

Plumbing Newbie? Tips And Tricks That You Should Know


Problems in plumbing can have bad effects on your house and belongings. This article has advice on how to help you address your plumbing problems.

Ensure the toilet is free of any leaks. The easiest way to perform this test is by placing a few food coloring drops in your toilet's upper tank. Watch the bowl, and if you see colored water within a few seconds, you know that you have a problem that needs to be handled soon.

Look at your flapper first when diagnosing a toilet issue. It can deteriorate as time passes and cause your toilet to leak. Check to see if the pressure on the flapper chain is right. If it's tight enough, you may need to replace a worn flapper.

Over-tightening a pipe can be just as bad, maybe worse than if you under-tighten it. Over-tightening could harm the threads and crack the pipe. Because of this, you should ensure you're tightening only enough to prevent leaks and no more.

If your pipes are so noisy that they sound like squeaking or hammering, you can easily solve this problem. Exposed pipes need to be anchored. Call a plumber to help with pipes that require you to cut a hole in a wall, ceiling or floor.

To prevent pipes in your house from freezing, do not let the temperature in the house dip below freezing. Also, any pipes exposed to the cold should be insulated. Obviously, frozen pipes occur due to freezing environmental conditions. If they freeze, it will be awhile for them to gradually warm. Therefore, it will take some time for you to have running water again. Frozen pipes can also burst, which can be very messy and expensive to repair.

Don't be tempted to use commercial bleach tablets, blue toilet tablets or any other product that claims to prevent toilet odor. 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.

Avoid dumping oil, fat, and grease in your drain. These materials may be liquid when you pour them in, but they will solidify and cause problems. This is especially damaging to garbage disposals because the fat can make the blades turn more slowly and less efficiently. Dispose of oils and fatty liquids in the trash.

If you want your garbage disposal to have the same lifespan as your total home, clean it regularly. Cleaning can be done with a variety of things you may already have in your home, such as dish-washing soap, the rinds of lemons, or the pits of cherries. When you create a regular cleaning schedule, you can make sure your garbage disposal runs in tip-top shape and smells fresh and like new.

Plumbing problems can cause a lot of concern, but they can be fixed with some patience and work. Research common plumbing problems, and for larger problems consult a professional plumber. By following the tips you just read about getting rid of plumbing problems, you are doing yourself a service.

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Hot Tips To Fix Tough Plumbing Problems


Anyone who has spent any time in a house with running water knows plumbing problems can and do happen. Some difficulties are easily overcome; however, others take some effort to deal with. It does not matter what your circumstances are, it remains important that you know some plumbing basics so you can deal with issues as they arise.

If you notice wear and tear on the plumbing system, that means it is probably time for you to replace used parts. There are stop-gap repair measures including foams and the like, but those are meant to be temporary fixes. For a more permanent solution to leaks or holes in your pipes, you'll have to purchase and install new pipes or pipe parts.

When you are winterizing your home, get the hot water tank tuned up and serviced. This will save you cash on your winter heating costs by allowing your hot water heater to easily operate at full capacity.

A blow dryer can help you to thaw out frozen pipes. By using a low level of heat the task may take longer, but you will not have to face the potential danger of using more hazardous methods, while at the same time avoiding that call to the local plumber.

Maintain your pipes regularly with tools or chemicals to prevent any blockages. This is very important for pipes located outside your house, such as toilet pipes or drains, which are sometimes blocked by tree roots.

Because pipes have a tendency to freeze in the winter months, it's a good idea to insulate pipes that are in colder spaces. Think about crawl spaces, basement bathrooms, outside water sources, etc. Insulation is available that easily wraps around pipes. Doing this not only prevents frozen pipes from bursting, but it also prevents water from losing heat as it travels through the pipes.

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 reduces pressure to keep the pipe from bursting, which could prevent a big mess in your home.

You don't want to end up with frozen pipes, so take preventive action, such as wrapping outside pipes with insulation, and keeping indoor temperatures above freezing at all times. Pipes have the potential to freeze if the surrounding temperatures are below the freezing mark. It can take a while for the pipes to thaw, which means you will not be able to run water for quite some time. However, they could burst, which would cause a huge mess and an extremely big repair bill.

To keep your septic tank in good working order, it is advisable to have it pumped out every five years. This will keep sediment from hanging out in your tank and eventually causing there to be a backup in your home. While it may cost a bit to have your septic tank pumped out, it will cost you much more to clean up any sewage backup or to repair or replace your septic tank.

As you can see, plumbing can present a whole host of small and large problems. Use these tips and you will discover that it is not necessary to stress over plumbing problems. There is always a solution.

About Guest Author :  If you need help repair please do not hesitate to contact me. I have more than 5 years experience in repair. PM me if you have any question. Check out this website.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Choose A Plumber That You Can Rely On


Often, the plumbing in a house starts malfunctioning soon after you move in. It's most common to have plumbing problems in your bathroom or kitchen. Eventually, nearly every homeowner has to face one type of plumbing issue or another. Keep reading to find tips that will assist you in dealing with those problems.

Avoid using any tablets that are meant to reduce odor in and around your toilet. The rubber parts of your system can be damaged by the chemicals contained in these tablets and stop functioning.

You should put a strainer over your drains to catch anything that could clog your drain up. Every time you have large particles in the strainer of the kitchen sink, it should be cleaned thoroughly. Clean out the bathtup strainer every few days before it becomes clogged.

If you notice orange or pink stains in your bathroom fixtures, this is because of the iron in your water. A water softener is the easiest way to solve hard water problems relating to rust, but you can also consult a plumber if you are unsure.

Schedule all your plumbing work at the same time. While you may be tempted to call the plumber whenever you have a slight problem, scheduling it all at once gives you the opportunity to save money to pay for the repairs. Another reason it lowers costs is that plumbers bill per hour worked, and due to partial hour effects, doing all the work at once results in lower billable hours.

You can pour baking soda down a drain followed by some vinegar if you want to keep drains clear. This should be done once a month, and a cup each of baking soda and vinegar should be used. Cover it with a plug or rag, since a chemical reaction should happen in the pipes. Let it sit a few minutes, then wash it all away with boiling water. This should help clear your pipes of accumulated hair and soap scum.

Putting in shower heads that are energy-efficient can save you a lot of money in energy costs. Most of the hot water we use is in the shower. Installing the energy-efficient heads, you will be able to save in excess of $100 per year.

If you wish to use a pipe cleaner to clear out your clogged pipes, look for one that is enzyme-based. These natural bacteria cleaners turn sludge into liquid, and then remove it from the pipes. The most highly recommended pipe cleaners are enzyme cleaners.

Clean your dryer's lint trap. This can save you a lot of trouble, including preventing fires. Be sure to check the trap for tears and rips, because this can cause bigger problems as it may mean that lint is escaping into your pipes.

Homeowners cause themselves a disservice by not having a little plumbing knowledge prior to a plumbing problem. All homeowners should have some basic plumbing tools, they should also be aware of a few plumbing tips. If you should face a future plumbing problem, the information you gained here will help you tackle the situation.