General Plumbing Information
It seems every once in a while, everyone has a question about plumbing. We all want to maintain our house’s plumbing systems and to fix any problem, but many of us don’t know how. These tips and hints will give you a little enlightenment on how to fix or maintain your house’s plumbing, thus giving you the choice to proceed as you need with your plumbing demands.
- To prevent pipes in your house from freezing, do not let the temperature in the house dip below freezing. Also, any pipes exposed to the cold should be insulated. Obviously, frozen pipes occur due to freezing environmental conditions. It will take a while for the pipes to thaw, leaving you without running water. But, they could also burst, causing a mess and a large repair bill.
- Wait to give compensation to a plumber until they are finished with their work. In some cases, you have to make a down payment prior to the first day of work. This is okay to do; however, don’t let your plumber talk you into paying the entire cost of a job before he’s finished, and never pay the whole cost before he’s even begun. It is vital that you check your plumber has done all the work he promised before you have over the full payment. This will protect you against being scammed by fraudulent tradesmen.
- You should regularly check for water damage to your bathroom floor caused by your toilet in order to save money and further complications. Feel the floor around the toilet and check to see if the floor is soft, molded, chipping, etc. Stand over the toilet, then rock it back and forth to see if any weakening in the floor has occurred. Picking up on any problems now will definitely work to save you money later. It’s the difference in a little maintenance and total floor replacement.
- Avoid placing fat, grease, and other oils into your drain. They can clog your drains once they cool down. They’ll also muck up your garbage disposal and cause it to be less efficient. Be sure to get rid of oil products away from your sink.
- If you live in a home using well water and your bathtubs have stains pink and orange in color, this is likely a result of iron levels in the well water. Luckily, you can quickly fix this by adding some water softener to your supply. You can pick up this product at a lot of stores, or have it shipped out to you.
- You can keep your bathtub pipes clear by pouring baking soda and vinegar down your drain once a month. Use one cup of each. Plug the opening or cover it with a cloth while the chemical reaction takes place. After letting it sit for a few moments, clear the pipes out with a gallon of boiling water. By following this tip, you should be able to clear all the soap scum, hair, and other grime out of your pipes.
Overflow Holes
- Ensure overflow holes don’t have any debris in them. These passages allow your sink to fill up without overflowing onto your floor, and if they’re blocked, it can cause you a major headache. Make sure to clean out the overflow holes each time you do maintenance checks on your sinks.
- If water is draining into a dishwasher, it is probably because the hose attached to the sink is not installed correctly. The hose leading from the kitchen sink to the dishwasher must lead uphill and then back downhill in order to prevent mixing of water from both devices.
- Study plumbing while your system is working perfectly so that you’ll be ready if it develops a problem. Just by doing a bit of routine maintenance, you can stave off future issues. Use the advice in this article to be better prepared to handle any plumbing problem that may arise in your future.
As Sir Francis Bacon is attributed to saying, “Knowledge is power.” By knowing a few of these tips, you have the power to keep your plumbing running smoothly and efficiently in your home. If something is not running well and you need underground work done such as a sewer line repair or a water line replacement, contact Apex today or get your free quote online!
