Being able to take care of basic plumbing around the house is a useful skill. For the most part, it doesn’t take years of training. Rather, it requires you to know some basic information. If you think you’re ready, this is the right place. The tips you find here will carry advice on making your home’s plumbing system continue to work and stay in tip-top shape.
If you discover a frozen water pipe, turn on a nearby faucet so that thawed ice has a place to go. Doing so provides pressure relief, and might spare you the damage of a burst pipe.
You should have your septic tank pumped once every five years for best performance. This will prevent sediment from piling up in your tank, which could cause it to overflow into your home and yard, or even cause the entire septic system to fail. White it is somewhat expensive to pump the septic tank, it will be much more expensive should you need to clean backup, repair your septic tank or replace it altogether.
You never want to pay for a job until it is complete, and this goes for a plumber as well. You may need to pay some money in the beginning, though you should not pay the full cost until you can be certain that the job was done correctly. You will feel better paying the bill when you are completely satisfied with the job.
Use a strainer over your sink drain to catch food and other bits of material. Otherwise, you will likely get a clogged drain. Every time you have large particles in the strainer of the kitchen sink, it should be cleaned thoroughly. The ones in the bathroom can be cleaned out as needed.
Avoid putting grease, fat, and other oils down your drain. They might be in liquid form, but after they cool off, they will solidify and make a clog in your drain pipe. Even with a garbage disposal, you are going to cause it to be less efficient and risk drain backups. Get rid of any fat or oils outside or in the garbage can.
Have all your plumbing needs scheduled all at once. It might be tempting to hire a plumber for every little problem, but if you can save it up for one big fix, then you have time to set money aside for these repairs. Also, combining smaller jobs into one larger job lets the plumber finish his work faster and therefore saves you money.
Pour equal parts baking soda followed by vinegar down your bathtub drain once a month. Cover it with a plug or rag, since a chemical reaction should happen in the pipes. Wait for a little while and then allow boiling water to go down the drain. This procedure will clear the hair and soap scum out of your pipes.
After reading the above tips, you should feel excited in the fact that you will now be able to be your own plumber. We hope that these tips can help you! If they don’t, keep trying something until you are happy with your plumbing system.