If you have never owned a house before, it is crucial to know that plumbing problems may happen quite soon after buying a new home. The most common places these problems pop up is in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Really, at some point every homeowner will deal with some kind of plumbing problem. Here are some tips to help you when that happens.
If you are paying someone else to do the plumbing in your home be sure that they are licensed in your state to do that work. Some people who have little or no knowledge of plumbing will try to pass themselves off as a pro. So you can see the importance of checking to see if your plumber is licensed. You should also see if you can find positive testimonials about the plumbers work.
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.
When starting a plumbing project that is due to loud noises in your pipes empty the pipes first. This can be an easy fix to an other wise wasted huge job. Just close the main water line and open the facets throughout the house. After the water has stopped flowing turn the water on from the main source and check to see if the noise is eliminated.
Never use your bare hands to try fixing your garbage disposal. Garbage disposals can be dangerous, even if they are powered off. You can look online to find the diagram for the disposal that you have.
Install screen traps or drain covers on all of your sinks and tub drains. Most home plumbing calls are about clogged pipes. These can be caused by debris, especially hair, washing down the drains. Putting in a trap means that you can clean this debris off before it ends up in the pipes.
If your drain in any device is taking longer to drain water, then you may need to have your pipes professionally cleaned depending on the severity of the circumstances. Before you do this, there are several different products you can try. However, some of them are professional strength and all products should be used with caution.
There are simple ways to check your toilet for leaks that can ultimately lead to great cost savings in the long run. The easiest way to do this is to pour a small amount of food dye into the holding tank of your toilet overnight. In the morning, if you have any color in the basin then you know you have a leak that needs some attention.
The worst thing to have happen is a plumbing problem if you are unprepared to deal with it. All homeowners should know the basics of plumbing. When the time comes for you to deal with a plumbing problem, hopefully, the advice from this article will see you through it.