Keep Your Pipes Running Smoothly With These Plumbing Tips

TIP! Noisy pipes are actually a lot easier to fix than you would imagine. You must anchor all exposed pipes.

A good home should have a quality plumbing system. But, there will be times when the plumbing in your home will need some work and professionals are out of reach. Read on to learn some amazingly useful tips to help you keep your home plumbing in great shape all by yourself!

TIP! If any water pipe that you have freezes, be sure to turn on the faucet that is closes to the pipe to give the water an exit as the pipe thaws. As such, bursting can be halted, saving you from even more costly damages.

Anchoring your pipes can eliminate the hammering and squeaking noises caused by loose pipes and fitting. You must anchor any type of exposed pipe. You may need the assistance of a professional in the case that the pipes are contained within a floor or ceiling.

Frozen Pipes

TIP! If your toilet gets clogged, your plunger is not fixing it, and your water level inside of the toilet appears low, you can sometimes fix the problem by dumping warm water into your toilet at waist level (or maybe even a little higher). Once the water is lower, do this again.

To prevent frozen pipes, always keep the living spaces in your house above freezing, even if you aren’t home. Any exposed pipes need to be insulated against the outdoor temperatures. Pipes can freeze when the ambient temperature in the area of the pipes dips below freezing. If you are lucky, you will only experience a minor inconvenience until the pipes thaw. However, frozen pipes commonly break or crack pipes, leading to flooding and costly repairs.

TIP! You can check for damage to the floors around the toilets by checking for soft areas. Straddle the toilet, so you can rock from one leg to another to determine whether there’s weakness in the floor.

Iron will cause orange or pink stains in and on your fixtures if you have a well. To get rid of this problem, you can either use a commercial product to soften the water, or have a contractor come to your home and do the work for you.

TIP! Give all drains strainers to gather particulate matter that can clog pipes. You should clean your kitchen sink’s strainer every time there is a large particle that’s trapped in it.

A great way to knock out your plumbing issues in one shot is to schedule everything at once. You might be tempted to call the plumber every time you need something fixed, but if you wait and hire the plumber for a single visit, you can save up money for repairs. You can save money by only paying a single service call fee instead of ending up with multiple hours being billed from multiple visits.

TIP! If you get your water from a well and orange or pink stains appear in your sink or tub, then you can be sure that the culprit is iron in your water. This is fixed by using water softener, which can be bought at a store, or you can have someone come to your home and fix it.

Having to repair pipes that freeze could be very costly. Fortunately, frozen pipes are easy to prevent. The first thing to do is make sure that all of the outside pipes are well insulated. When it gets cooler, drain and disconnect the hoses and shut off your outside faucet. Be proactive about this and save on future repair bills.

TIP! Putting a cup of any kind of baking soda followed with a cup of white vinegar each month will keep your drain running smoothly. Afterward, place a washcloth or towel over the top of the drain, to keep the chemical reactions contained.

Over time, sediment buildup may lead to problems with low water pressure. Often, this problem can be addressed by thoroughly cleaning out the aerator. After removing the aerator, disassemble it, and use a small brush that’s been dipped in vinegar to clean it. After rinsing the aerator, put it back together and reinstall it. By removing any grit, grime and debris from the aerator, the water pressure should significantly increase.

TIP! If you have a shower head that needs replacing, be sure to get one that is good quality. Some people think that one shower head is like any other, so decide on price alone.

As you now know, there are many tricks and tips that can be used to repair plumbing in your house. If you can follow these tips and implement them correctly, you should have no trouble fixing your plumbing and ultimately saving a lot of money compared to hiring a plumber.