When considering your home’s plumbing, there is a long list of potential issues that can crop up. Some mishaps are easily correctable, while others are not. Whatever the situation you find yourself in, it’s best to be educated on plumbing if you want to be able to take care of things around the house.
If your water pipe has frozen, start water running in the faucet closest to the frozen pipe. This will give excess water somewhere to drain as the ice in the pipe thaws. 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. 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.
Avoid using any tablets that are meant to reduce odor in and around your toilet. These products may well remove odors, but they have the side effect of damaging the rubber in your toilet, which can prevent your toilet from functioning correctly.
If a plunger is ineffective, you might be able to do the trick with a bucket of warm water. Once the water level gets low again, repeat the process.
If you find you are having an issue with the garbage disposal, do not put your bare hands in the disposal. Garbage disposals can be very dangerous, so take caution when fixing it, even while it’s turned off. Go online and search for sketch of your disposal, or a troubleshooter.
Check your floors for softness around toilets, so that you can ascertain if there is any floor damage. Straddle the toilet and rock from one foot to the other to see if you feel any weakening or “softness” in the floor beneath you. It could potentially save money by discovering any problems before too much damage occurs.
You should put a strainer over your drains to catch anything that could clog your drain up. Kitchen sink strainers should be cleaned every time they collect large food particles. Clean bathtub drain screens as often as needed.
If you notice orange or pink stains in your bathroom fixtures, this is because of the iron in your water. You can use water softener that you buy at the store to remedy this situation, or you can have a professional do it for you.
In order to ensure that your garbage disposal will last for as long as your home, keep it clean on a regular basis. By regularly incorporating a routine using a combination of dish soap, lemon rinds, and even cherry pits, you can keep your disposal running smoothly and smelling as fresh as the day it was installed.
As was said earlier, many problems can occur with plumbing, both large and small. The tips that were given here should help you fix these problems with greater ease.