Tag Archives: Tips

Plumbing Like A Pro: Tips, Tricks, And Techniques 2

July 09, 2024   Matt

Plumbing Like A Pro: Tips, Tricks, And Techniques

Imagine taking on a plumbing project with the confidence that you are going to do a good job and that you are going to complete the job for well under the price of hiring professional help. Now use this hopefulness, and take a few minutes to read the great tips in this article.

Be sure to blow out your sprinklers during the fall months. If you forget to do it, or have it done, you are going to suffer broken lines and have to go through the expense and the work involved in replacing those lines. If you have an air compressor, it can be done on your own and it will not cost a thing.

If you need to locate a pipe under the floor, attach a strong magnet to a solid line coated with fish tape. Flush the magnet or throw it in a drain. Make sure to attach the line to something or to have someone hold it. Use a compass to locate the magnet and the pipe.

Clean washing machine lint traps and use pantyhose over the water outlet tube to prevent lint, fuzz and other debris from clogging sewer or septic system filters. Fine mesh traps are also available for this purpose, but a package of knee-high nylon stockings and plastic ties can provide enough filters to encourage you to do the job regularly.

Keep an eye on the hoses for your dishwasher and washing machine. These hoses can leak and bulge, which can be a problem. Check them for signs of wear and tear and replace any hoses more than 10 years old. You’ll find that these hoses age well, but you have got to make sure they are doing the job they should.

Is your toilet leaking? Find out by putting some food color in the tank and then check the bowl later. If there is colored water in the bowl, the toilet has an internal leak. To fix an internal leak you can simply replace the tank’s ball or flapper.

If you plan on doing any work on your walls, from putting in a nail to hang a picture to literally tearing it down, you’ll need to know where your pipes are. Smashing a hammer through drywall only to find you’ve also dislodged a pipe and created a flood is not a great way to start a project!

If you cannot find the cause of a leak between the tank and basin, consider installing a new flapper. Over time, these parts tent to wear down under water, and even the smallest crack around the edge can lead to a leaky toilet and the loss of many gallons of water.

Kitchen and bathroom plumbing is often located on exterior walls and freezes more easily than interior wall plumbing. Keep your furnace at a safe temperature throughout the winter and open cabinet doors in bathroom vanities and beneath kitchen sinks to expose the pipes to warmer room air to prevent freezing.

To summarize, you want to know that you are taking care of your plumbing job just the same as a professional would, but without the additional costs they would inflict upon you. Hopefully, this article was informative enough for you to tackle any plumbing issue that might come your way.

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Find Tips To Successful Plumbing Projects For The Home (3)

July 04, 2024   Matt

Find Tips To Successful Plumbing Projects For The Home

Deciding to become a plumber is a solid career choice. You can work in a variety of settings, including residential and business construction, industrial and residential maintenance and repair and water treatment plants. Here are some tips to help you along.

To prepare for the cold weather, properly drain all outside faucet bibs and turn off the water supply to those faucets. A piece of foam taped to the outside bib can provide excellent insulation to prevent any remaining water from freezing or splurge for a specialty cover that comes complete with velcro closures.

When looking for a plumber, you have quite a few options. Ask friends for recommendations of who they use. Check online for plumbers with good reviews and references. Use your yellow pages and look under “Plumbing Contractors” or “Plumbing, Drain and Sewer Cleaning”. Make sure that you contact more than one plumber before making a choice.

If you need to install a valve, find instructions on the type of valve you have. Some valves such as stop valves need to be installed in a certain direction to work properly. Make sure you understand how a valve works before you install it so you do not commit any mistakes.

Look at your hot water heater and make sure that the temperature is not higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is, it could cause you to get burned or it could reduce the unit’s energy consumption. If you determine that the temperature is too high, adjust immediately to avoid any of these things from happening.

A plumbing snake is an essential tool in any homeowner’s tool box. Snakes can be used to unclog kitchen and bathrooms drains and toilets when clogged with hardened debris. They are useful as well for grabbing hold of items dropped down sink drains. Snakes come in a variety of sizes for home use and heavier-duty models can often be rented for bigger jobs.

Make a list of all the water valves you turn off when you leave for vacation so you don’t end up forgetting to turn them back on when you return. In fact, make a hard copy of your list so you will have it handy whenever you go away for an extended period of time.

A great time to check your plumbing shut-off valves on sinks and toilets is when you turn off the main valve before leaving your home for an extended period of time. You can check to make sure they’re all functioning well and none of them are leaking, saving you from problems when you return.

Make sure you allow a slow drip over the night when you experience the coldest of winter weather. A general rule to follow is, if there is snow on the ground, leave the water dripping. This keeps a constant flow and reduces your risk of waking up to frozen pipes that can cause a great deal of damage.

Plumbing is a fascinating and exciting world that is only limited by the extent of a person’s knowledge. There are many possibilities, products, types of equipment, and techniques. Start experimenting to find something new for your jobs or to learn something new that you can better for your own usage. Become inspired by these tips!

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Want To Know More About Plumbing? Check Out These Great Tips! (3)

June 09, 2024   Matt

Want To Know More About Plumbing? Check Out These Great Tips!

At this moment in time, what more could you want than the best plumbing tips. You currently are having an issue at your house and want to know how to take care of it quickly and efficiently. Take the advice in this article and you should be in great shape.

Taking the time to prepare your plumbing before you leave on vacation may save you quite the mess when you get home. The easiest way to avoid these disasters is by shutting off the main valve to your house. This will keep any more water from entering the lines in case there is a rupture somewhere.

Do not use the liquid cleaning supplies that are designed to clear clogs. These cleaners are harmful and can damage your pipes as they clear the clog. Instead of using damaging liquids, use a plunger or a plumbing snake. These are much more effective and will not harm pipes.

An important plumbing-related decision that must be made these days is the choice between an electric water heater or a gas water heater. In these times with gas costing as much as it does, it is more cost efficient to buy an electric water heater, especially if you have a smaller water heater.

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.

Basic problems with toilets can be a quick fix for even the rawest amateur plumber and is worth attempting if you can take the time to research the problem. Seek out the necessary part or parts from your local hardware store and ask for support in how to properly install them.

Having to wiggle the toilet handle or hold it down to get your toilet to fully flush indicates that the tank parts need to be replaced. Kits that include all of the parts needed can be purchased in any hardware or home improvement store to easily do the repair yourself.

If you need to locate a pipe under the floor, attach a strong magnet to a solid line coated with fish tape. Flush the magnet or throw it in a drain. Make sure to attach the line to something or to have someone hold it. Use a compass to locate the magnet and the pipe.

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.

To summarize, you are looking for the best advice available, when it comes to taking care of plumbing issues that might arise in your house. The cost that it would take to hire somebody might not be something you can deal with right now. Hopefully, the tips in this article will prove to be beneficial and point you in the right direction.

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Some Small Kitchen Design Tips

June 07, 2024   Matt

Some Small Kitchen Design Tips

If you have a small kitchen to design then the problem of designing a great kitchen boils down to just what you can fit and where. There are many different cabinet designs and surface patterns that can help you provide your small kitchen design with a sense of space.

To create the small but efficient kitchen design, you need to work on three major areas of small kitchen design: storage, lighting, and appliances.

Small kitchens may seem to be a very difficult design challenge, but they can also be functional, beautiful and efficient. Even with a small budget and building restrictions, you can find that there are many options open to you to transform your kitchen into something more ideal for your needs.

To create a more spacious look for your small kitchen design the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) recommends designing more unique storage solutions, mixing natural and ambient lighting, taking advantage of more space saving appliances, and adding personalized touches.

A small kitchen design requires creativity in coming up with storage solutions. Some ideas to try include:

· Putting an island in the center of the kitchen that can provide freestanding storage that is also convenient from any spot in the kitchen.
· Using a galley kitchen design in which the cabinets and appliances line up on either side of a corridor can work out very well for a small kitchen space.
· Today’s appliance manufacturers have come up with more compact space-saving appliances make small kitchen design easier, such as refrigerators that are 24 inches deep instead of 30 inches deep, as well as appliances that can be hung underneath cabinets like microwaves.
· Other small kitchen design tricks to create an eating area in the kitchen include using a drop table or a small sized round table with two small chairs that can be tucked into a corner. Or a built-in counter along the wall with chairs to provide an eating nook.
· Another interesting challenge in small kitchen design is creating an illusion of space with under cabinet lighting or under the counter. With the proper type of lighting the kitchen can be made to appear larger and more pleasing.
· The use of light colored cabinets with glass doors.
· Installing deeper counters that can accommodate more appliances and increase work space.
· Flooring tiles can be placed on a diagonal, and in a galley style kitchen hardwood flooring can be run the length of the kitchen.
· For storage you can hang up pots and pans. This is a perfect way to free up cabinet space, and they add a certain charm and character to your small kitchen design. The insides of cabinet doors can be used to hang up everything from utensils, oven mitts, and other miscellaneous items. Pantry storage with units that go all the way to the ceiling with the upper cabinets to provide more space for seldom used items while making the lower cabinets more accessible with rollout shelves, lazy susans, and tilt-out bins.
· Install a large kitchen sink, since larger sinks are considered to be more practical than small sinks when it comes to cleaning pots and pans.

Remember most kitchens are small. When you look in kitchen design magazines you naturally notice that the kitchens featured are large and so you might think your small kitchen in inadequate. But good small kitchen design means being able to create space and incorporating ample storage facilities and being able to fit in all the necessary appliances.

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Find Useful Plumbing Tips And Tricks To Use (2)

June 04, 2024   Matt

Find Useful Plumbing Tips And Tricks To Use

The difference between taking care of your own plumbing issues and hiring outside help is incredible when it comes to your cash flow. Why not see if you can do some of the jobs yourself? Or at least become a little more knowledgeable on the subject. Here are some useful facts and tips.

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.

To prevent exposed pipes under your home from freezing during the winter, use foam pipe insulation or electric heat tape to cover your pipes according to the manufacturer’s directions. A burst pipe can cause damage and high water bills, so preventing freezing and bursting is essential during the coldest months of the year.

Watch out for decreased levels of intensity in the water flow in your bathroom. This can be a sign of calcium or mineral deposits disrupting water flow. If spotted early enough it may be possible to remedy this without having to replace the pipes.

Using a snake tool to remove blockages is very easy. Just insert the tool a few inches into the drain, and then turn the handle to change the direction of the snake head and search for blockages. Continue moving down slowly and searching until you find the cause of your blockage.

Speak to a professional before using harsh chemicals to unclog drains or a septic system. Some homes still have very old copper pipes that can be full of rust. While these pipes can still work efficiently, if they are clogged, it is best to use a gentle solution as those harsher chemicals can eat away at the pipe and cause severe issues.

It is important to know how to properly anchor your pipes when it comes to plumbing. This is extremely important to know because not having your pipes well anchored could result in loud noises, leaks, or pressure problems. Call a professional if you are unsure how to take care of it yourself.

Homeowners in colder climates where snow and freezing is the norm should insulate all basement plumbing pipes with foam to help keep hot water hot and prevent pipes from sweating in the warmer weather. Properly insulated pipes save money on hot water heating costs and greatly reduce the chance of frozen pipes in the winter.

Keep water trickling slightly from faucets to help prevent frozen pipes when the temperature drops significantly. Colder than normal temperatures can cause problems if pipes are not insulated appropriately, even when pipes are not exposed to the elements. By leaving the water running slightly, you keep movement in the pipes which can prevent freezing.

In conclusion, you know that your pocketbook will definitely take a hit if you have to rely on outside help for all of your plumbing issues. Utilize the advice in this article and you may resolve any problems that might occur with the plumbing in your household from now on.

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Pour These Plumbing Tips Into Your Idea Pipeline

May 10, 2024   Matt

Pour These Plumbing Tips Into Your Idea Pipeline

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.

It is not always necessary to call in a plumber when you have a damaged section of pipe in your plumbing. There are repair kits you can buy in your local hardware store which are excellent in repairing leaks. If you have a small leak, you can rub a compound stick over the hole or crack in the pipe to seal it shut. Epoxy paste is also an excellent remedy for a leaking pipes. Make sure you turn off the water and completely dry the pipe before applying the epoxy.

When your toilet clogs and a plunger will not release it, try a closet auger. This tool features a handle that you rotate in order to feed a line into the toilet drain. When you remove the auger from the drain, the clog should come with it, unless it’s past the length to which the auger can reach.

Work with plumbers that offer flat rates. When a plumber is charging by the hour, they do not have an incentive to get the job done quickly. It is human nature to go just a little bit slower if it’ll mean extra money in our pockets. If you cannot find someone who charges per project make sure that you are vigilant in watching the clock and their work.

A plumbing snake is an essential tool in any homeowner’s tool box. Snakes can be used to unclog kitchen and bathrooms drains and toilets when clogged with hardened debris. They are useful as well for grabbing hold of items dropped down sink drains. Snakes come in a variety of sizes for home use and heavier-duty models can often be rented for bigger jobs.

Be sure that you check on your water meter when it is not being used. Then, check on the meter 8 hours later. If the meter has changed, even a small amount, this could be a sign that there is an undetected water leak, which can be a severe problem.

Do you have a sump pump in your home? You should check it each spring to make sure that it is operating properly. Pour a few buckets of water into the sump pit. When you so this, the pump should turn on quickly, discharge the water, and then shut off without any issues.

Group all of your plumbing repairs before scheduling a plumber to come out. Check all of your fixtures and faucets. If anything is dripping, running or clogged, make a list for the plumber. That way, when the plumber comes, they can do all of the jobs in one visit. This will cut down on charges.

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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