If you are a first time homeowner or maybe someone who has just moved out of Mom and Dads humble abode you may not know a lick about plumbing but there are certain things that you should know. This article will discuss some of them and you will be more knowledgeable after reading the tips below.
Make sure everyone that lives in your house knows where to find and use the main water shut off valve in case there is a burst pipe emergency. This is especially important if you live in an area where your pipes may freeze. Take a moment to show your family members where the valve is and how to properly shut it off.
Rigid copper is used for main water lines in many homes. You cannot bend rigid copper so joints and tees must be soldered on. When soldering always apply flux (also called soldering paste) to both surfaces. Flux retards oxidation when the copper is heated. Always use lead-free or nearly lead-free solder when sweating a copper joint.
Do not put cooking oils fat or grease down your drain. These fats cause clogs by solidifying in pipes. To properly dispose of fats put them in a bowl with a lid that you can dispose of. Once it gets hard throw it in the trash or compost bin.
Dont rely on drain cleaners too much. The chemicals found in drain cleaners are very corrosive and can end up damaging your pipes if you use them too much. Rather than using cleaners hire a professional to look at your clogged drain.
Ensure that if something goes wrong in your garbage disposal that you resist any and all urges you have that might make you want to put your hands inside to fix a problem. Garbage disposals can be dangerous even if they are powered off. Locate a diagram of the garbage disposal or some sort of troubleshooter online.
While it may seem like a seemingly harmless thing to do never run potato peels through your garbage disposal. The chemical make up of this seemingly harmless food allows the potato to turn into a thick viscous substance that can wreak havoc on the disposal itself with the potential to render it completely useless.
If your sewer is backed up there are things you can do to troubleshoot and clean including renting equipment like a main line cable. However often times this does not fully take care of the problem. A professional needs to assess the issue then using a camera method and thoroughly cleaning the main line.
When searching for a good plumber you should always check references. It is easy to just go with the lowest price but you have to do your research and make sure the plumber has a good reputation with the people they have done work for in the past so you do not get a bad plumber.
Plumbing problems arent so tough to deal with when you have knowledge of how to fix basic plumbing problems. Next time youre thinking of calling an expensive plumber pull up this article instead and see if you can fix the problem yourself with the tips youve read here today.