Tips For Dealing With A Leaky Faucet
Aug 27th, 2015 by administrator
Tips For Dealing With A Leaky Faucet
Many people think that tackling their plumbing issues can be difficult. This is not necessarily true. Tackling a plumbing problem, as with any task, can be easy if you have the right knowledge and the proper equipment. The following article contains plumbing tips that will help you with any plumbing issue.
Don’t start any do-it-yourself plumbing project without having a plan in place. You need to know beforehand exactly what you are getting yourself into. Know what kind of space you are working with and what pipelines are which. Getting a clear picture early on will make your plumbing project go a lot smoother. If you are in doubt at all, consider hiring a plumber to do the work for you. Ask a friend or neighbor for a trustworthy one that they have used before.
During the winter, it is important to prevent your pipes from freezing. Frozen pipes will not only stop your flow of water but can crack and damage the pipes. By running a little water out of every faucet during the coldest parts of the day, you can avoid this. If a pipe ever freezes, you need to shut off the water. This will keep the pipe from bursting and causing you major damage to your home. Make sure to shut the water off at the main valve, and then open the faucet that is closest to the frozen pipe so it can drain all of the pipes while it is thawing out.
Look closely at your toilets several times throughout the year. Check to see if there are any leaks that you may not have noticed; you can do this by placing five or six drops of food coloring in the tank. If there is a leak, the color will seep into the bowl within half an hour. This process will help you catch a small problem before it gets too out of control. Install flow meters to your toilets to get an accurate reading of exactly how much water you are using. Even the tiniest leak can be quite expensive in the long run as you end up wasting potentially hundreds of gallons of water. If you have an older model toilet, it may be good to install a new model anyways. Whether it leaks or not, your old toilet will use more water per flush than a newer one.
When it comes to the kitchen sink, take care of your plumbing by watching what you put down the drain. Do not overload your garbage disposal. If you need to dispose of large items, cut them up into smaller pieces, or simply toss them in the trash. Overloading your disposal can cause the engine to overheat, and can clog your pipes. Also, never pour grease down the drain. This will also help you avoid clogs in your kitchen sink. Pour used grease in a can and dispose of it in the trash. Grease that has congealed on pots and pans can be wiped off with paper towels, and then thrown away.
If water begins to back up into multiple fixtures all over the house, it is no longer going to be effective for you to use chemicals or a small handheld snake. This is evidence of a blockage in the main line, and you must contact a professional to take care of this problem for you.
In conclusion, tackling any plumbing issue does not have to be difficult. If you have the right information to assist you, you can do any plumbing task that may arise. Simply use the tips that were provided in the article above and your plumbing issues will be a thing of the past.