Category Archives: Home Improvement

Get The Plumbing Advice To Help You (2)

November 27, 2023   Matt

Get The Plumbing Advice To Help You

This article is going to provide you with well proven advice about plumbing. Sometimes you are not sure about what you can trust and what you cannot. Use the great tips and tricks that have been gathered here and you can be assured you are getting tried and true advice.

Before embarking on a plumbing project, make sure that you’re aware of where the shutoff valve for water in your home is, as well as the valves for shutting off individual structures like sinks, toilets, etc. This way, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to stop the water flow.

Use a foaming root killer, twice yearly, to remove tree roots that can bring your drains to a standstill. Foaming products fill the entire pipe with chemicals, killing roots that grow from the top of the pipe as well as the part that water flows through. They are more effective than regular root killers for this reason.

Call different plumbers before choosing one. Plumbing prices among professionals are not uniform. Before you hire someone to fix a major problem, call two or three other plumbers to see what their prices are like. This can be difficult if you have a major plumbing problem that you need solved right away, but will save you money in the end.

When you are using your disposal you should always run cold water not hot water. You should run the cold water as long as the motor to the disposal is running. Always avoid overloading your disposal. Things like corn husks, onion skins, celery and other high fiber foods could clog your disposal.

If you go to flush the toilet and nothing happens, do not be afraid to open up the lid and take a peek. The mechanism inside the toilet is not overly complex, and with some time and thought you can nearly always pinpoint the problem and then find the tools and parts to fix it.

Treating your drains every month is a great way to avoid future clogs and other problems, and it’s a very simple procedure. Just run one to two gallons of hot tap water down each drain in your house.

Once or twice a year, drain a few inches of water from your water heater using the valve located at the bottom. The water may be rusty-looking or brown, which is the point of this practice; sediment settles to the bottom of the tank and rests there. Flushing some of this sediment from the tank can extend the lifespan of your hot water heater.

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.

To summarize, you are looking for advice on your plumbing project but want to be sure that the information you are using has been tested over time. Hopefully you will find this to be true of the information in this article. Use this great advice today and you will be more than satisfied.

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Make Your Plumbing Repairs With This Information

November 22, 2023   Matt

Make Your Plumbing Repairs With This Information

Plumbing is a vast topic that takes years to learn and master. If you’re feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it, read this article for tips that should clear up any confusion that you have.

Knowing how to avoid frozen pipes is going to help save your home from the potential flooding that can occur if they should freeze. Make sure the temperature in your home does not fall below fifty-five degrees. Caulk any air leaks that are near your plumbing to avoid freezing problems.

When you’re going away on a vacation, you should consider shutting off the water supply to your home. This can help stop many problems before they start. If you don’t do this, you should have someone stop by your house regularly to check that nothing has gone wrong and that your home isn’t flooded.

If your pipes are making banging noises, you may need to add additional anchor straps to prevent the pipes from making contact with the walls when water is traveling through them. Typically, pipes are anchored at regular intervals. If banging noises are occurring, you may need to add additional straps or cushion the pipes with a rubber blanket.

When replacing any PVC type pipes in your home, make sure you buy the correct PVC for the job. PVC comes in several different sizes and grades as well as for different temperature applications. If the water going through the pipes is headed for the kitchen or bathroom, or is for laundry or gardening usage, it must be labeled as “Potable.”

Use a hairdryer to thaw frozen pipes, after you shut off the water to the house. A hairdryer will gently heat the pipe and thaw the ice without causing significant damage to the pipe. Shutting off the water first means that if the pipe is broken, there will be no rush of water into the house.

Try to update your internal toilet components from time to time. If you have to hold down the handle for a long time to flush your toilet, you may need to replace a worn piece. This improvement will help to save a lot of money on your water bill during the year.

Make sure your plumbing contractor has the proper insurance before letting them work in your home. This is a big problem with all types of construction contractors. They may have the proper licenses, but because of the high cost of insurance, they may not be properly insured and can end up on your homeowners policy if they get hurt.

If your sink is letting rusty water out and it will not drain, it is mostly likely because of the biological scum and grease that is built up in the pipes. You need to have your drains professionally cleaned, allowing maximum flow through your drains. Your drains must be open completely.

As you can see, plumbing isn’t so scary when you know what to do. Follow the tips you’ve read here next time you have a problem with your plumbing, and soon your problem will be solved, all without having to call an expensive plumber to fix the problem for you.

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The Plumbing Information You Need To Read

November 17, 2023   Matt

The Plumbing Information You Need To Read

Plumbing can cost a lot of money, so being prepared and knowing how to take care of your plumbing can be very beneficial to you and your wallet. By knowing how to take care of your plumbing, you can save time and save yourself a lot of money, in the end.

If you own property where the temperature gets below freezing for an extended amount of time each year, you should make sure that pipes located in unheated areas, such as crawl spaces and garages, are insulated. Pipes that are exposed to the outside elements or those that are prone to freezing, should be protected by heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables to prevent them from freezing.

When you wash your hands, be sure that you have not left any soap on the faucet handles. What people do not know is that leaving soap on these fixtures can cause fixtures to corrode. Just take two seconds after you are done washing your hands to remove excess soap from the handles.

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.

If you are the kind of person who likes to listen to music when you work, then you should be sure to avoid using headphones. A radio is a much smarter choice, as it will allow you to hear the music you want, without distracting you from hearing important sounds.

If your pipes do freeze you should turn off the main water valve so when the ice melts there aren’t many problems. As the ice melts you should leave the faucet on so it relieves the pressure. You could also day a blow dryer to the pipes to help the ice melt, but never a blow torch since that is way too dangerous.

If you live in an area where sewers are known to back up into homes. You will need to install a backflow valve into your floor drains. By doing this you can prevent future backup of sewage into your home. This device will save you much money from loss of property due to sewer water contamination, and it will also save many hours of labor needed to clean up after these backups.

Insulate all of the pipes in your home that run along an exterior wall to prevent them from freezing. This step is not going to cost you a lot of money, but it is going to save you quite a bit of damage by preventing pipe freezes. It is easy and cheap to do and should be done as soon as possible.

By knowing your plumbing and how it works, as was stated before, can save you a lot of time and money. There’s nothing worse than a plumbing accident to mess up your day. So, using the advice from this article, you can be sure to save yourself a big headache!

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Pour These Plumbing Tips Into Your Idea Pipeline 2

November 12, 2023   Matt

Pour These Plumbing Tips Into Your Idea Pipeline

Many people attempt to do their own plumbing in order to save money on repair costs. They often fail due to a lack of proper plumbing knowledge or by using the wrong tools for the job. If you would like to do your own plumbing without doing more harm than good, then read the tips in the following article.

Plumbing is something that can be done as a hobby, or as a way to make some extra money. If you feel that your skills have progressed a good deal, then you could consider using it is as a way to supplement your primary income by helping out neighbors and co-workers.

Get rid of odors in your waste-disposal unit. In many cases’ odors in your waste-disposal unit may not be a sign of a clog, but simply small food particles that have started to rot. Place a combination of lemon peel and ice cubes in the unit, and run it for about a minute. Follow this with a good amount of cold water. If this doesn’t help, try a degrease or specialized waste disposal cleaner.

If you’re planning on connecting galvanized steel to copper pipes you need to use a dielectric union to make sure that the steel doesn’t corrode. It is made of both steel and copper and will ensure that the union is tight, safe, and lasts as long as your house is standing.

How can you find out if there are pipes in the wall you intend to do work on? You can buy a pipe and stud sensor at the hardware store, but if you don’t plan on using it again that’s probably a waste of money. If you’re going to be putting something big on the wall you can cut a piece out to peek inside then cover it with your project.

One of the ways that you can improve the functionality of your shower head is to clean the mineral deposits from the surface. Unscrew your shower head and soak it in vinegar overnight. In the morning, brush off the deposits with a toothbrush to help the flow of water for your showers.

If you are starting a plumbing project due to have discolored water, especially black, be sure to have your water tested first instead. There could be a mineral build up in your pipes or the source of the problem could be further down the line than you can reach. Most importantly you want to be sure your water is safe for drinking.

Avoid over-tightening water faucet handles. Use only enough pressure to stop the water from flowing and dripping from the faucet. Anything else is overkill and will quickly wear out the gaskets and washers inside those handles and cause leaking or the inability to stop the water from coming out of the faucet.

While you may not be able to tackle every problem that comes up, you can surely feel more confident about dealing with some of the basic stuff. Take any situation step by step, and you will find that it’s not as difficult as you may have thought.

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Plumbing Information That Can Save You Money! (6)

November 07, 2023   Matt

Plumbing Information That Can Save You Money!

When you hire a plumber, it can cost a lot of money for even a very simple repair that you could have done yourself with some basic plumbing knowledge. Don’t waste money on professional plumbers again! Read on for some tips on solving your own plumbing problems with tools you have at home.

To check for toilet leaks, especially if it seems like your toilet is chronically running, use a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If water is leaking into the bowl, you will see color in about a half hour. Replacing tank parts can repair leaks and greatly save on water consumption.

Did you know that it is suggested that you replace your water heater at least every 15 years? If your water heater has a rusting tank, it is just a matter of time before it breaks and floods the surrounding area with water. You can check the age of your water heater by observing its serial number. The first four numbers of the serial number on the water heater are the month and year it was manufactured.

Do not try to sell a product that you do not agree with. This includes paying attention to the company itself and their values and policies. If you have any qualms about the company, your customers will pick up on it. You want to be a full supporter of the product you are selling

Check for leaks on your water heater and softener before you leave for vacation. You can also turn off their individual shut-off valves to ensure that they don’t cause any water damage while you’re away. It’s good to check them a few weeks before you leave just in case you need any repairs.

Do not let your faucet leak. Did you know a leaky faucet can waste about 150 gallons of water every day? If you have a leak, never ignore it. It could be coming from the faucet or the pipes. Continually check pipes and faucets for extra moisture or small leaks.

It is imperative as a homeowner that you know exactly where your main water shut-off valve is located and can operate the valve in case of an emergency. The best first step measure for frozen pipes is to stop water from entering your home in the first place. Locate the main water supply valve and turn it on and off on a regular basis to keep it easily operable in an emergency.

If you have unused cooking grease, do not pour it down your kitchen drain. The grease or oil can clog your drain and even cause irreparable damage. Instead, put the unused grease or oil into a plastic bag. Or, you can put the grease into an empty tin can, set it in the refrigerator to solidify, and then throw it away.

As you read in the beginning of this article. Professional-plumbing services are costly, and many plumbing problems can be solved by anyone who knows what needs to be done. Hopefully, this article has given you the knowledge to avoid an expensive call to a professional plumbing service in the future.

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Need Tips For Plumbing? Try These Great Ideas!

November 02, 2023   Matt

Need Tips For Plumbing? Try These Great Ideas!

Did you know that the squeaking you hear from your pipes is the hot water causing the pipe to expand? This and more great plumbing information is provided in this article. If you are looking for clear and concise information, then read the tips we have provided below.

In any DIY plumbing project, make sure that you always test the drains and the supply lines before you close up the walls. It is a lot easier to find and solve problems if you look for them while you are still in the process of actively doing the job.

At least once a year remove the faucet aerator and clean the screens. This helps it properly function. The function of a faucet aerator is to allow for an even flow of water and to conserve water. Be sure to clean out the aerator and you’ll notice a these things working.

It is a general rule of thumb that you should replace a water faucet every seven years, even if you do not see anything wrong with it. Some faucet problems are not visible to the naked eye, which is why it is so important for them to replaced every so often.

Every now and then, you should pour a large bucket of water down your basement floor drain. This will help to keep the trap seal full and prevent certain gases from coming up into your home. Also, be sure that you have your floor drain checked by a professional every few years.

Before embarking on a plumbing project, make sure that you’re aware of where the shutoff valve for water in your home is, as well as the valves for shutting off individual structures like sinks, toilets, etc. This way, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to stop the water flow.

If you go to flush the toilet and nothing happens, do not be afraid to open up the lid and take a peek. The mechanism inside the toilet is not overly complex, and with some time and thought you can nearly always pinpoint the problem and then find the tools and parts to fix it.

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.

Find a plumber that you can trust. Make sure to get referrals from friends and family so that you can prevent getting ripped off, which happens often. Also make sure not to pay the plumber before the work is completed. If you do that, there will not be an incentive to get the job completed in a timely manner.

In conclusion, you now know what causes the squeaking noise from your pipes, as well as a lot more information. Use this guide as the best way to take care of any plumbing issues that might come up. Hopefully, you were able to comprehend the advice given and will be able to fully utilize it whenever needed.

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