Great Plumbing Advice If You’ve Got Issues
If you’re a home owner unfamiliar with plumbing, you’re probably familiar with the experience of being charged an arm and a leg for what seems like a simple plumbing repair. If you’d like to avoid this experience again, read on for some advice and tips on how to fix your own plumbing.
Rigid copper is used for main water lines in many homes. You cannot bend rigid copper, so joints and tees must be soldered on. When soldering, always apply flux (also called soldering paste) to both surfaces. Flux retards oxidation when the copper is heated. Always use lead-free or nearly lead-free solder when sweating a copper joint.
When it gets very cold, your pipes may freeze. If it does, relieve the pressure in the pipe by turning on the tap so the water can be released as the pipe thaws. This will relive some of the pressure, and could prevent cracks from appearing.
A great tip to use to stop your septic tank from backing up is to make sure you have it pumped at least every five years. This keeps the sediment from building in the tank, which can cause septic tank failure or backup into your house. There is a cost to having a company pump out your septic tank. But, a serious backup can cost a lot more if it mean replacing the tank.
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.
If you have clogged pipes, try cleaning them with an enzyme pipe cleaner. This type of cleaner uses natural bacteria to transform sludge into liquid, that makes it disappear from the pipes. Cleaners containing enzymes are some of the best you can buy.
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.
Before embarking on a plumbing project, make sure that you’re aware of where the shutoff valve for water in your home is, as well as the valves for shutting off individual structures like sinks, toilets, etc. This way, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to stop the water flow.
When you wash your hands, be sure that you have not left any soap on the faucet handles. What people do not know is that leaving soap on these fixtures can cause fixtures to corrode. Just take two seconds after you are done washing your hands to remove excess soap from the handles.
Plumbing isn’t as hard as it can seem, when you have access to good information and advice about how to go about solving your own plumbing problems. Next time you have plumbing problems in your house, try applying the tips from this article and see if you can save some money by solving it yourself!
