Content writer-Charles Washington

Plumbing issues can damage both your home and your household goods. Here are some tips on how to learn to fix problems with your plumbing.

If a pipe ever freezes, you need to make sure to shut off the water. This will keep the pipe from bursting and causing you major damage to your home. Make sure to shut the water off at the main valve, and then open the faucet that is closest to the frozen pipe so it can drain while it is thawing out.

If your pipes bang when you turn on the water, and all the pipes are anchored correctly, you should add some straps or cushion the pipes with a rubber blanket. There may be times when you will need to do both. Make sure that if you have copper pipes, you are not using galvanized straps.

To avoid wasting water and having a potentially high water bill, check your home for leaky faucets periodically. Fix any leaks that you find right away. You may be able to do the repair yourself, but if not, you may have to seek the services of a plumber to make the repairs.

Act quickly if your pipes freeze! Shut off pop over to this site and open the faucet, enabling it to drain when it thaws. Starting with the faucet, and working your way to the iced-up area, aim a propane torch or hairdryer at the pipe - this will quickly defrost it. You could also wrap the pipe in a heating pad or aim a heat lamp at it, but this will take quite some time. A last resort is to wrap the pipe in rags and pour boiling water over it.







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.

Avoid using hard cleaners on your toilets, such as drop-in cleaner tabs in the tank. When these tabs are almost completely dissolved, what's left of the tab gets washed into the bowl. This can then end up clogging the toilet's port holes, preventing the toilet from flushing properly. It can take months for this debris to finish dissolving in those holes.

Stay away from drain cleaners! Compounds that are ingredients in common drain cleaners are quite corrosive and can cause pipe damage if overused. Rather, if you have a blocked drain, consider having a professional plumber come out to diagnose the cause.

Be sure that you check on your water meter when it is not being used. Then, check on the meter 8 hours later. If the meter has changed, even a small amount, this could be a sign that there is an undetected water leak, which can be a severe problem.

Sometimes kitchen sinks can be clogged up due to a slow accumulation of solidified grease. One quick fix for this is to try pouring very hot grease down the sink, which will liquefy the grease clogging the drain and carry it down. Water won't work, because grease will not dissolve in water.

As winter approaches, be sure that your external faucets are not dripping and leaking. If there is any leaking or dripping, this needs to be fixed before the temperature falls below freezing. Both plastic and metal pipes are susceptible to bursting when they freeze. Even a small crack will let enough water out to cause some serious damage.

It is essential that you know where your main cut-off valve is for your water supply on your property. You should be able to find the water meter close by or directly on it. Some plumbing fixtures, such as sinks and toilets, may have individual shut-off valves. Show your family members where these valves are, and then add markings that show how they should be turned off if an emergency occurs.

Keep an eye on your monthly water bill to catch plumbing problems. Has your water bill gone up recently, even though nothing's changed? This could indicate a water leak or appliance problem somewhere inside or outside of your home. Check under sinks for rusted pipes, look for water puddles under outside faucets, and consider having a plumber come out to listen to your pipes to detect running water.

For people who live in an apartment complex, plumbing is often forgotten about. The first time they move into a home they are unable to resolve any minor plumbing problems, because they have never dealt with this kind of thing. It is good to get a basic understanding when moving into your first house.

http://tana00ambrose.blogzet.com/small-plumbing-ti...-a-new-property-owner-13513994 will need many skills in addition to knowing the basics of water and pipes. A common task for a plumber is repairing water lines.

Check to make sure that the walls behind the tiles in your bathroom are not soft. Push into the tiles to confirm that the foundation is firm and robust. If the area is delicate and brittle, there is a good chance that water has created damage behind the tiles over time.

If your home has copper pipes, they could expand a little when hot water runs through them. This can often times lead to the pipes becoming warped, and not fitting tightly inside the pipe hangers, due to grinding. You can wrap your pipes with tape so it stays in the hanger.

Having to wiggle the toilet handle or hold it down to get your toilet to fully flush indicates that the tank parts need to be replaced. Kits that include all of the parts needed can be purchased in any hardware or home improvement store to easily do the repair yourself.

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.

As mentioned above, most periodic plumbing maintenance is simple and straightforward. http://rachael47robert.shotblogs.com/terrific-sugg...ul-pipes-in-your-home-12734834 resulting from serious damage to your plumbing are not. Now that you know how to deal with the plubming issues in your home, you should be more prepared to prevent or mitigate the more serious problems that can result.