SPOILER ALERT!
Pipes Tips That Will Save You Money
Content by-Bredahl MacKinnon
If you are completely new to the world of plumbing, then you are probably thinking that some tips on plumbing will help you immensely so that you can begin maintaining your own at home. Listed below are some tips to get you started with your home plumbing maintenance and repair.
Check the filters in your furnace, regularly. If these filters have not been cleaned or replaced recently, they may become clogged. This will affect how well your furnace is able to work, meaning that you may not have enough heat during the winter. Take this simple step, as soon as the weather starts to become cold.
Drain the sediment from the bottom of your hot water heater twice a year to keep the hot water heater working at its optimal levels. Simply open the drain valve and allow the water to run out into a bucket until the water runs clear. Then close the drain valve.
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.
Do not pour grease or oil down any of your household drains. Put them in containers and place in the fridge until they are solid, then throw them away. If you pour them down the drain, they can solidify in cold pipes. These solid masses will clog your pipes and are very difficult to remove.
Check your gas water heater periodically to make sure the pilot flame is lit. The correct color for this flame should be blue. The tip of the flame should be yellow. If you find that you are only seeing a yellow flame, you may need to call a professional for safety reasons.
To reduce your plumbing repair costs, use preventative maintenance measures. Drain clogs are probably the most frequent issue you will run into with your plumbing. Drains are easily clogged by hair. This can be prevented by using a drain cover or screen to keep the hair from going down the drain. It is much easier to remove the hair from a screen than it is to get it out of a pipe.
Don't treat your toilet like a garbage can if you want to avoid a lot of potential plumbing problems. Under no circumstances flush cotton balls or swabs, paper towels, diapers, sanitary pads or other materials that will not dissolve. These items can cause major clogs. Also, use as little toilet paper as possible to clean yourself properly.
Believe it or not, it is not a very good idea to use a plunger if your toilet is clogged. Plungers just push whatever is stuck deeper into the drain. Instead, it is a better idea to use a closet auger. It will do a better job and is affordable.
Don't use drain cleaners if you can avoid it. Compounds that are ingredients in common drain cleaners are quite corrosive and can cause pipe damage if overused. Rather than using drain cleaners, hire a plumber to fix your blockage problems.
Have a specific plumber in mind before you have an emergency. Most people don't think about plumbers until they find themselves having a big problem that needs to be fixed right away. Instead, choose quality plumbing who you are comfortable with and whose experience you trust--way before you actually need his services.
Run dishwashers and washing machines at night, or during times when people are not using that much water. This will keep water pressure strong for showers and other things, while making sure that dishwashing and laundry still takes place in a timely manner. It also preserves energy costs and use.
If grout is clogged bathtub drain within the line, it is likely useless to try cleaning it on your own. You could dislodge the grout and cause it go further down. This is more successful in plastic plumbing as compared to metal pipes. However, ultimately it usually requires a professional to rid you of this problem.
Make sure that the temperature of your home's water heater is not above 120F. On older water heaters, be sure it is not above medium settings. When temperatures get higher than 120, scalding can occur. Also, having the settings above 120F, tends to use more energy than lower temperatures do.
Some items, such as bananas, carrots, pumpkin and chicken skins are terrible for blades and they can be caught in the drain and clog it. Make sure these hard-to-grind items are disposed of first by putting them in the trash can, then you are able to put the other food into the garbage disposal.
Water should never appear around the bottom of your heater; if you see some, throw the valves that shut off the flow. If you don't, you may discover that what started out as a small leak can quickly turn into a large leak, which will be harder to shut off.
You can save money on a plumber by using a power auger yourself to clear a clogged toilet line. Check with local home improvement stores or other venues where you can rent power tools. You may be able to rent an auger yourself for a fraction of the cost of hiring a plumber, although you will have to be able to remove and reset your toilet yourself if you do not have a main line cleanout.
Plumbing choices can come in many ways. One decision you need to make as a homeowner is to purchase a tank-less water heater. One thing to remember if you are considering a tank-less heater. You will pay two to three times more than if you purchase a tank heater.
Never use a drain opener with chemicals when you want to unclog a drain. These products do help open a clogged drain, but the chemicals they contain may damage the body, and this is especially true if it gets on the skin. If you feel you must use them, protect your skin by wearing long sleeved shirts and gloves.
Yes, plumbing is quite a subject in that it is completely subjective by it's very definition. No two people view plumbing the exact same way. What one finds useful to their system, the other may not. These tips should have given you some advice on how to start with your own plumbing.
If you are completely new to the world of plumbing, then you are probably thinking that some tips on plumbing will help you immensely so that you can begin maintaining your own at home. Listed below are some tips to get you started with your home plumbing maintenance and repair.
Check the filters in your furnace, regularly. If these filters have not been cleaned or replaced recently, they may become clogged. This will affect how well your furnace is able to work, meaning that you may not have enough heat during the winter. Take this simple step, as soon as the weather starts to become cold.
Drain the sediment from the bottom of your hot water heater twice a year to keep the hot water heater working at its optimal levels. Simply open the drain valve and allow the water to run out into a bucket until the water runs clear. Then close the drain valve.
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.
Do not pour grease or oil down any of your household drains. Put them in containers and place in the fridge until they are solid, then throw them away. If you pour them down the drain, they can solidify in cold pipes. These solid masses will clog your pipes and are very difficult to remove.
What Is A Plumbing Contractor
Check your gas water heater periodically to make sure the pilot flame is lit. The correct color for this flame should be blue. The tip of the flame should be yellow. If you find that you are only seeing a yellow flame, you may need to call a professional for safety reasons.
To reduce your plumbing repair costs, use preventative maintenance measures. Drain clogs are probably the most frequent issue you will run into with your plumbing. Drains are easily clogged by hair. This can be prevented by using a drain cover or screen to keep the hair from going down the drain. It is much easier to remove the hair from a screen than it is to get it out of a pipe.
Which Of The Following Processes Requires Separate Plumbing
Don't treat your toilet like a garbage can if you want to avoid a lot of potential plumbing problems. Under no circumstances flush cotton balls or swabs, paper towels, diapers, sanitary pads or other materials that will not dissolve. These items can cause major clogs. Also, use as little toilet paper as possible to clean yourself properly.
Believe it or not, it is not a very good idea to use a plunger if your toilet is clogged. Plungers just push whatever is stuck deeper into the drain. Instead, it is a better idea to use a closet auger. It will do a better job and is affordable.
Where Is Mike Enright Plumbing Contractor
Don't use drain cleaners if you can avoid it. Compounds that are ingredients in common drain cleaners are quite corrosive and can cause pipe damage if overused. Rather than using drain cleaners, hire a plumber to fix your blockage problems.
Have a specific plumber in mind before you have an emergency. Most people don't think about plumbers until they find themselves having a big problem that needs to be fixed right away. Instead, choose quality plumbing who you are comfortable with and whose experience you trust--way before you actually need his services.
Run dishwashers and washing machines at night, or during times when people are not using that much water. This will keep water pressure strong for showers and other things, while making sure that dishwashing and laundry still takes place in a timely manner. It also preserves energy costs and use.
If grout is clogged bathtub drain within the line, it is likely useless to try cleaning it on your own. You could dislodge the grout and cause it go further down. This is more successful in plastic plumbing as compared to metal pipes. However, ultimately it usually requires a professional to rid you of this problem.
Make sure that the temperature of your home's water heater is not above 120F. On older water heaters, be sure it is not above medium settings. When temperatures get higher than 120, scalding can occur. Also, having the settings above 120F, tends to use more energy than lower temperatures do.
Some items, such as bananas, carrots, pumpkin and chicken skins are terrible for blades and they can be caught in the drain and clog it. Make sure these hard-to-grind items are disposed of first by putting them in the trash can, then you are able to put the other food into the garbage disposal.
Water should never appear around the bottom of your heater; if you see some, throw the valves that shut off the flow. If you don't, you may discover that what started out as a small leak can quickly turn into a large leak, which will be harder to shut off.
You can save money on a plumber by using a power auger yourself to clear a clogged toilet line. Check with local home improvement stores or other venues where you can rent power tools. You may be able to rent an auger yourself for a fraction of the cost of hiring a plumber, although you will have to be able to remove and reset your toilet yourself if you do not have a main line cleanout.
Plumbing choices can come in many ways. One decision you need to make as a homeowner is to purchase a tank-less water heater. One thing to remember if you are considering a tank-less heater. You will pay two to three times more than if you purchase a tank heater.
Never use a drain opener with chemicals when you want to unclog a drain. These products do help open a clogged drain, but the chemicals they contain may damage the body, and this is especially true if it gets on the skin. If you feel you must use them, protect your skin by wearing long sleeved shirts and gloves.
Yes, plumbing is quite a subject in that it is completely subjective by it's very definition. No two people view plumbing the exact same way. What one finds useful to their system, the other may not. These tips should have given you some advice on how to start with your own plumbing.
