Author-Frank Witt
Did you know that a leaky spray head on your kitchen sink might be caused by a faulty diverter? If this peaks your interest or if you want to know more about plumbing, then you will want to read what else we have to provide in this article about how to take care of plumbing in your home.
Use the sounds you hear from your pipes to help you to determine what they problem is. Certain sounds mean the water pressure is too high. Other sounds can signify loose pipes or slight clogs from calcium or iron build up. Listening to your pipes can save you a lot of money hunting down the problem.
If you have bad water pressure in the shower, the showerhead might be clogged. Take a plastic baggie, fill it with regular vinegar, and tie it to the showerhead so that the showerhead is covered. Leave it overnight. In the morning, take the baggie off and use a small toothbrush to scrub away any mineral deposits.
Look closely at your toilets several times throughout the year. Check to see if there are any leaks that you may not have noticed; you can do this by placing five or six drops of food coloring in the tank. If there is a leak, the color will seep into the bowl within half an hour. This process will help you catch a small problem before it gets too out of control.
When concerned with plumbing, you need to know what can cause noisy pipes. This is important because it can mean the difference between an annoying noise and flooding in your house. Do your research to distinguish between the different noises and hire a professional if any serious risk is posed.
Frozen and bursting pipes from harsh winter weather is a problem that no-one wants, so plan now to winterize your exterior faucets and pipes against freezing conditions. A simple way to accomplish this is to find the exterior water shut-off valve located inside your home (often located in the basement). Turn off
Plumbing Supplys Greenwood to stop water flow, and then open up the outside faucets to drain out any water that has collected. Be sure to turn off the outside water faucets tightly after the water has drained out. Take in any hoses you may have outside so they don't crack from the cold weather.
To avoid freezing pipes in the winter, make sure to insulate any exposed pipes in you basement before winter comes.
Click In this article to pipes near the outside walls. If you have had a problem with any particular pipe freezing in the past, apply some heat tape to insulate those pipes.
Make sure you clean out overflow holes in your kitchen and bathroom sinks on a regular basis. These holes are intended to act as an emergency fail-safe to prevent spillage from a full sink, but if they are clogged they can't do their job. You can clean out an overflow hole using the same techniques you would for a clogged drain.
In any DIY plumbing project, make sure that you always test the drains and the supply lines before you close up the walls. It is a lot easier to find and solve problems if you look for them while you are still in the process of actively doing the job.
During the week, hair and soap can build up in your drains and can cause serious clogs. Make sure that you have strainers in each of your drains to help catch this debris so that it does not become an issue. This will help to keep your water flowing efficiently.
If you are looking to get new piping in your home, try to stay away from copper ones. Copper tends to have problems, due to water and soil corrosion. It is also harder to install these kinds of pipes. Steel or lead pipes tend to offer the best quality and are the most durable.
If you need to shut off your plumbing system, turning off the main valve is not enough. A leaking sink will still be supplied by the water that remains in the pipes. Make sure you check all the pipes for signs of wetness or leaks. You should do this regularly.
Check the plumbing in your home. If your home has the flexible gray polybutylene water pipes, you need to have a plumber come out and assess their condition. These types of pipe are prone to failure and can lead to very costly repairs if they have a failure within your home.
Many people complain of low water pressure. While there are several things that can cause this, one must not be overlooked when starting your investigation. What kind of pipes do you have? If your piping is galvanized, you are better off just replacing your piping which will eliminate the issue.
If you ever put food down the garbage disposer after a meal, make sure that you run cold water for about 15 seconds to help drain the excess debris. This will help in flushing out the excess particles down your drain, which otherwise, can build up and cause a clog, eventually.
Check for calcium and mineral deposits by turning on both the kitchen sink and the bathtub. If the volume of water is low, it may be time for you to replace pipes due to deposits of calcium and other minerals. Check the water pressure and consider calling a professional to handle the entire job.
To avoid hair from accumulating and clogging pipes. Use fine mesh strainers in every drain where hair is washed. Fine mesh strainers can catch the hair and still allow the shower, tub or sink to drain and are also useful in the kitchen to catch and stop small food debris from going down the drain.
If you are not able to shut off a main valve to your home before you leave for vacation, shut off the individual valves under the sinks and behind the toilets. Be sure that the valves are in good working order before you make the mistake of turning one that is ready to be broken at any time.
Once or twice a year, drain a few inches of water from your water heater using the valve located at the bottom. The water may be rusty-looking or brown, which is the point of this practice; sediment settles to the bottom of the tank and rests there. Flushing some of this sediment from the tank can extend the lifespan of your hot water heater.
Plumbing problems can gather steam in a hurry, so don't let small problems linger until they become a big deal. If you are armed with these suggestions, you can do the plumbing yourself or hire a professional.