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Handy DIY Plumbing Tips For The Homeowner
Many of us have no idea how plumbing works. Knowing a few simple tips and tricks can help you keep your money in your hands and not that of a plumber. Sometimes it is necessary to call up a plumber but by following a few words of advice you can take preemptive action and stop a problem before it starts.
Before starting any plumbing project on your own be sure to do a great deal of research. There are many resources available to assist you in understanding your plumbing system and help you to avoid many common mistakes made by do-it-yourself novices. Reading about other peoples mistakes can make the difference of saving or losing money.
To avoid having your outdoor faucets freeze up in the winter detach all hoses before the first freeze. Also close the shutoff valve that leads to the outdoor faucets then turn on the outdoor faucets to let any remaining water in the lines drain. Once temperatures warm up in the spring you can reverse the process.
Make sure that you disconnect all hoses outside your house when the fall season hits. This is important to reduce the chance of freezing which can cause damage to the connecting pipes. Disconnect all of your water hoses and store them safely to put your family in the best position for the fall.
Have you tried patching your pipe with the store-bought patching kits only to have that section of your plumbing continue leaking? Replacing the damaged pipe is a more permanent solution than patching. First you must shut off the main water valve and drain the water from the damaged section. Cut out the damaged section of the copper pipe leaving about an inch of extra pipe on both sides of the damaged area. Remove corrosion from inside the pipes with a wire brush. Apply flux to the replacement pipe and the remaining pipe. Slide the piece of replacement pipe into place with couplings. Apply solder all around the joint and use a propane torch to solder the replacement section into place.
Cover pipes that are outside or in cool areas. Use heat tape to make sure that the pipes are completely covered and insulated. This will prevent frozen pipes in the winter which can be an expensive problem. Check outdoor pipes for other problems such as leaks and cracks which are better to catch early.
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.
Hopefully this article helped you learn a little bit more about your plumbing and how to stop issues before they start. By learning and knowing like was discussed in this article you can be sure to save a few dollars every year. Plumbing disasters can cost a lot of money so use this advice well!