SPOILER ALERT!
Guidance For Individuals Attempting To Do Their Own Pipes
Written by-Shepard Norman
Maintaining and repairing your own plumbing is an essential part of home improvement, but understanding it and buying the right equipment can be tricky. There are lots of things to consider for your particular plumbing job. Here are some steps you can take to ensure you get started with your own plumbing jobs.
As the weather begins to get cold, attend to all of your exposed pipes by adding insulation to them. Pay particular attention to pipes located in crawl spaces and the outside walls of your residence. Taking this step will help ensure that your pipes continue to function throughout the winter.
Always keep your garbage disposal clean. Blocked Pipes can do this in many ways. Pour some dish soap in and let the disposal run for a few minutes with some cold water. Be sure to run it regularly, if not, it can cause rust. To eliminate foul odors, grind lemon or other citrus peels. You can clean the walls of the disposal by grinding small fruit pits or egg shells.
Don't give a plumber the total bill payment upfront; pay them only when they have finished the job. There might be a down payment required, but you do not give him the total cost before he is finished. You should make sure the plumber did a good job before you pay in full.
Roots from a tree in your back yard can be a real headache when it comes to plumbing. Make sure if you have a big tree or bush or some kind of plant with a big root system, that you ask your plumbing company about root killing agents. You can flush these down your toilet and kill any roots that may be blocking your pipes and save yourself a lot of money by stopping a back up before it happens.
Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.
Make sure you get a good recommendation or check the references before you hire a plumber. With good recommendations, it will assure that you are hiring an experienced plumber. If the experienced plumber is professional, he will have a fully stocked truck and be able to complete most small jobs in one visit.
If you have a foul odor coming from your garbage disposal, this is due to food debris buildup. You need to put ice cubes, orange peels, and lemon peels into the disposal and run for about 30 seconds. Next, run some liquid dish soap through the disposal. This should take care of the problem if there is not a substantial blocking buildup.
If you want to add some water pressure to the shower or any spigot in the home, make sure you clean out the aerator. Remove the aerator, take it apart, and clean with a small brush dipped in vinegar. Rinse the aerator with water, put it back together and then attach it back onto the faucet. Once the aerator has been cleared, your water pressure should improve.
Be careful with putting household cleaners in your toilet. They can cause the toilet to malfunction. The debris that these cleaners leave can sit in your toilet's pipes and harden, making them almost impossible to get rid of. If it does harden, it usually requires the help of a professional.
Rarely used valves tend to fuse together. Keep them lubricated using penetrating oil. Be sure to turn them periodically to avoid sticking.
Heat up frozen pipes carefully if they have frozen. In colder regions, pipes placed closest to outer walls and ceilings could freeze if not properly insulated. Use hot rags, hot water, a blow dryer or similar heat source. Start heating at a place nearest the tap, then work backwards.
To get your water heater to perform better, you will have to make a determination of your household needs in relation to the size of the hot water tank. Purchasing the proper size tank can be assessed ahead of time and thus greatly improve the availability of hot water when needed.
If water is flowing out from where your meter is located, a professional is required to come out and fix the leak. If your water bill goes up, this is most likely because the leak is on the house side of the water meter. You will need to get a professional to come out and fix the leak.
Plumbing is one of those jobs that you should not do your self. If it is something easy like a toilet repair or changing out a faucet, go ahead and give it a try. If it is a major repair, then you are better off hiring a contractor and it may be required to have a licensed plumbing contractor do the work for you.
Is your shower pressure weak due to clogging of the openings in your shower head? Here is a simple and cost-effective tip to take care of that problem. Pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place it over the shower head, and twist tie it into place so it can soak overnight. In the morning, remove the plastic bag and use an old toothbrush to scrub off the mineral deposits which are clogging the openings. This will help to restore water flow and increase shower pressure.
Do not shock yourself! Water and electricity do not mix well! If you are working with both electrical and plumbing issues at the same time, then you must avoid crossing them. Beware! The two together can be deadly! When water and electricity are mixed, the risk of getting a shock can be incredibly high, as well as deadly.
The plumbing world is filled with amateurs. If you are more experienced, it might be helpful for you to look for an apprentice. This is a great way to hire inexpensive labor, and can help you mentor those younger than you.
Every so often you should check your toilet for leaks. A good way to check for leaks would be to put food coloring, Kool-Aid, or even coffee in the tank, anything that will color the water will work. You should check your toilet bowl in a little bit, and if there is color in the bowl, your toilet is leaking and the stopper and/or flush valve may need changed.
As you can see, plumbing is not rocket science. All you need to do is to find reliable sources that will give you great tips on addressing plumbing problems. The time you invest in educating yourself on plumbing issues will be time well-spent, because it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Maintaining and repairing your own plumbing is an essential part of home improvement, but understanding it and buying the right equipment can be tricky. There are lots of things to consider for your particular plumbing job. Here are some steps you can take to ensure you get started with your own plumbing jobs.
As the weather begins to get cold, attend to all of your exposed pipes by adding insulation to them. Pay particular attention to pipes located in crawl spaces and the outside walls of your residence. Taking this step will help ensure that your pipes continue to function throughout the winter.
Always keep your garbage disposal clean. Blocked Pipes can do this in many ways. Pour some dish soap in and let the disposal run for a few minutes with some cold water. Be sure to run it regularly, if not, it can cause rust. To eliminate foul odors, grind lemon or other citrus peels. You can clean the walls of the disposal by grinding small fruit pits or egg shells.
Don't give a plumber the total bill payment upfront; pay them only when they have finished the job. There might be a down payment required, but you do not give him the total cost before he is finished. You should make sure the plumber did a good job before you pay in full.
Roots from a tree in your back yard can be a real headache when it comes to plumbing. Make sure if you have a big tree or bush or some kind of plant with a big root system, that you ask your plumbing company about root killing agents. You can flush these down your toilet and kill any roots that may be blocking your pipes and save yourself a lot of money by stopping a back up before it happens.
Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.
Make sure you get a good recommendation or check the references before you hire a plumber. With good recommendations, it will assure that you are hiring an experienced plumber. If the experienced plumber is professional, he will have a fully stocked truck and be able to complete most small jobs in one visit.
If you have a foul odor coming from your garbage disposal, this is due to food debris buildup. You need to put ice cubes, orange peels, and lemon peels into the disposal and run for about 30 seconds. Next, run some liquid dish soap through the disposal. This should take care of the problem if there is not a substantial blocking buildup.
If you want to add some water pressure to the shower or any spigot in the home, make sure you clean out the aerator. Remove the aerator, take it apart, and clean with a small brush dipped in vinegar. Rinse the aerator with water, put it back together and then attach it back onto the faucet. Once the aerator has been cleared, your water pressure should improve.
Be careful with putting household cleaners in your toilet. They can cause the toilet to malfunction. The debris that these cleaners leave can sit in your toilet's pipes and harden, making them almost impossible to get rid of. If it does harden, it usually requires the help of a professional.
Rarely used valves tend to fuse together. Keep them lubricated using penetrating oil. Be sure to turn them periodically to avoid sticking.
Heat up frozen pipes carefully if they have frozen. In colder regions, pipes placed closest to outer walls and ceilings could freeze if not properly insulated. Use hot rags, hot water, a blow dryer or similar heat source. Start heating at a place nearest the tap, then work backwards.
To get your water heater to perform better, you will have to make a determination of your household needs in relation to the size of the hot water tank. Purchasing the proper size tank can be assessed ahead of time and thus greatly improve the availability of hot water when needed.
If water is flowing out from where your meter is located, a professional is required to come out and fix the leak. If your water bill goes up, this is most likely because the leak is on the house side of the water meter. You will need to get a professional to come out and fix the leak.
Plumbing is one of those jobs that you should not do your self. If it is something easy like a toilet repair or changing out a faucet, go ahead and give it a try. If it is a major repair, then you are better off hiring a contractor and it may be required to have a licensed plumbing contractor do the work for you.
Is your shower pressure weak due to clogging of the openings in your shower head? Here is a simple and cost-effective tip to take care of that problem. Pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place it over the shower head, and twist tie it into place so it can soak overnight. In the morning, remove the plastic bag and use an old toothbrush to scrub off the mineral deposits which are clogging the openings. This will help to restore water flow and increase shower pressure.
Do not shock yourself! Water and electricity do not mix well! If you are working with both electrical and plumbing issues at the same time, then you must avoid crossing them. Beware! The two together can be deadly! When water and electricity are mixed, the risk of getting a shock can be incredibly high, as well as deadly.
The plumbing world is filled with amateurs. If you are more experienced, it might be helpful for you to look for an apprentice. This is a great way to hire inexpensive labor, and can help you mentor those younger than you.
Every so often you should check your toilet for leaks. A good way to check for leaks would be to put food coloring, Kool-Aid, or even coffee in the tank, anything that will color the water will work. You should check your toilet bowl in a little bit, and if there is color in the bowl, your toilet is leaking and the stopper and/or flush valve may need changed.
As you can see, plumbing is not rocket science. All you need to do is to find reliable sources that will give you great tips on addressing plumbing problems. The time you invest in educating yourself on plumbing issues will be time well-spent, because it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
