Content written by-Bean Holden
Taking a step into the wondrous and complex land of plumbing for the very first time might feel a bit daunting. However, by keeping the helpful tips listed below in mind, you will soon find yourself plumbing on par with some of the best plumbers in the field and maintaining your own easily.
Find
supply plumbing that you can trust. Make sure to get referrals from friends and family so that you can prevent getting ripped off, which happens often. Also make sure not to pay the plumber before the work is completed. If you do that, there will not be an incentive to get the job completed in a timely manner.
You need to avoid using any kind of tablet or odor remover in your toilet if at all possible. These things may help improve smells, but they can damage the rubber components of a toiler, which can cause it to function improperly or even worse, completely break down.
To avoid clogs, pay attention to what you flush. Sanitary napkins, thick toilet paper and baby wipes should never be flushed. These items can expand and cause a clog, or get caught on a pipe. Instead, dispose of them in a sanitary way that does not involve flushing them down the toilet.
Never try to fix a garbage disposal by putting your hand down into it. Garbage disposals always pose a possible threat, even when powered off or non-working all together. Locate your garbage disposal manual, or do an Internet search for troubleshooting advice and a diagram that illustrates your model.
Got a leaky pipe? In many cases you can repair this yourself without the expense of a plumber. If a joint is leaking, tighten it with a pipe wrench. If
http://finance.dalycity.com/camedia.dalycity/news/read/40941064/Happy_Customer_Gives_Midwest_Plumbing_Indianapolis_A_Grateful_Five is coming from a damaged section of pipe, you can try repairing with a store-bought patching kit. One method involves applying waterproof tape to the section of pipe where there is leakage. Before applying the tape, make sure the pipe is thoroughly dry. Make sure that the tape covers two to three inches on either side of the breakage in the pipe.
Do not ignore a slow flushing toilet. This is usually a sign that something is wrong. It can also cause backups and overflows. The most common causes of a slow flushing toilet are sediment build up, tank malfunctions, or partial clogs. You should periodically check for these problems.
Do not, under any circumstances, put lemons down your disposal. Although the lemon smell will give your disposal a great smell, its acid can corrode the metal parts in it. Instead, use products that are made specifically for this use. You can purchase these products at most hardware stores or wherever cleaning products are sold.
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.
If water is backing up into multiple fixtures all over the house, it is no longer going to be effective for you to use chemicals or a small hand snake. This is evidence of a blockage in the main line, and you must contact a professional to take care of this problem for you.
The Department of Consumer Affairs is a great place to check if you need a plumbing contractor. This will allow you to be sure that they are properly licensed and that they have not received a ton of complaints from previous clients. If they don't have a current license, you don't want them working for you.
If you install a new water heater, and you start to have a leak from the pressure relief valve, you may need an expansion tank installed. The pressure increases when the functioning of the water heater is being performed properly. Therefore, with your new water heater, it may be necessary to have an expansion tank as well.
Use a product like BioBen if you are planning to leave your system shut off for a few weeks. Water will still remain in the pipes and could start smelling because it is not moving. This type of product will keep the water from stagnating and from smelling too bad.
If your water bill seems unusually high and you haven't changed your water usage, the problem is most likely in the service line. The cost to hire a professional to find and repair the service line most often is far greater than installing a new line and then having the old one shut off permanently.
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, you want to consider getting a spring-loaded timer which can be attached directly to your hose. This prevents your lawn from getting too much water in case you forget to turn your system off. Getting too much water could kill your grass and plants.
The key to finding a great plumber for new construction is to look at their prior jobs. Good plumbers take pride in the work they do, so they will have photos and references from previous jobs. If the plumber you are considering hiring does not have references or photos of previous jobs, then stay away and find another.
Use a shop vacuum to unplug your toilets or drains, if a hard object is clogging it. Using a plunger will only push the object further and make it impossible to remove. If you do not have a shop vacuum, you can rent one from most Walmart stores or from similar franchises.
If you need to locate a pipe under the floor, attach a strong magnet to a solid line coated with fish tape. Flush the magnet or throw it in a drain. Make sure to attach the line to something or to have someone hold it. Use a compass to locate the magnet and the pipe.
As you obviously read in the paragraphs above, plumbing may actually be easier than you think! You need to learn the basics, however. Once you've done a little research, gotten a little practice, and used a little common sense, it will be easy to figure out how to tackle a plumbing job and get it done successfully.