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Fixing Leaky Faucets And Other Minor Plumbing Issues Yourself.

Plumbing problems can negatively affect your home and your household goods. There are some tips listed below to assist you start fixing your plumbing problems.

Don’t be tempted to use commercial bleach tablets, blue toilet tablets or any other product that claims to prevent toilet odor. The rubber parts of your system can be damaged by the chemicals contained in these tablets and stop functioning.

TIP! Avoid the use of products for your toilet that help with odor, such as bleach tablets. While they may make your toilet smell pretty, they can erode the rubber parts in the toilet and cause it to stop working.

Have a professional flush your septic tank cleaned every five years or so to keep it in prime condition. While you may find it costly to get your septic tank cleaned out, it will cost you much more to clean up any sewage backup or to repair or replace your septic tank.

If your house uses well water and you start to see orange or pink stains in your tub and other water fixtures, you have too much iron in your water. To get rid of this problem, you can either use a commercial product to soften the water, or have a contractor come to your home and do the work for you.

TIP! If your home has well water and you start seeing orange or pink stains, that is from iron in your water supply. This can be remedied by using a water softener which can be purchased at a shop, or a company can pay a visit to your home and handle the situation for you.

Knowing what tools and how to use them will make you much better at plumbing. Before attempting any repairs, you should have a plan; otherwise, a mistake could make repairs even more costly.

Have all the plumbing repairs done in one visit. Do not call a plumber for minor issues. You can save money by waiting to have everything fixed at the same time. You will also save because plumbers usually charge hourly rates, so hours they can charge you are reduced if there is only one trip made.

TIP! A great way to knock out your plumbing issues in one shot is to schedule everything at once. You might be tempted to call the plumber every time you need something fixed, but if you wait and hire the plumber for a single visit, you can save up money for repairs.

Don’t use any colored tablets in your toilet.These products may well remove odors, but they have the side effect of damaging the rubber in your toilet, causing poor functionality or even complete breakdown of the fixture.

Keep the drains in your bathtub working properly by pouring a cup’s worth of baking soda and than a cup’s worth of vinegar directly down your drain every month. This will cause the vigorous bubbling you may remember from the “volcano” in a grade school science project, so be sure to close the drain with a stopper. Let it sit a few minutes, then wash it all away with boiling water. This method clears out soap scum buildup and accumulated hair that gets caught in the pipes.

TIP! You can keep your bathtub pipes clear by pouring baking soda and vinegar down your drain once a month. Use one cup of each.

Check the floor for any give in order to be sure that there is no damage in the floors. You can save a lot if you notice the problem as soon as possible.

Trash should go in the trash basket, not the toilet. Use the toilet for what it is designed for, and it won’t give you a lot of problems. A lot of commonly-flushed items such as tissues, cotton balls and swabs, paper towels, diapers, and sanitary napkins can clog up a toilet by failing to dissolve properly. Reduce your use of toilet paper if you notice frequent clogs.

TIP! Do not flush unneeded things down your toilet if you want to lessen your chance of having issues. For example, don’t flush sanitary pads or diapers down your toilet.

By having a regular cleaning routine, lemon rinds, dish soap and even pits from a cherry, you can keep your disposal running smoothly and smelling as fresh as the day it was installed.

If you’ve got a shower head to replace, get a good quality replacement. In a lot of instances, folks decide they can get away with purchasing the most economical model on the shelf. Inexpensive shower heads are not terribly sturdy, though, and may not hold up to daily use.

TIP! When replacing your shower head, pay attention to the quality of the replacement head. It’s common to think it’s fine to buy the one that is the cheapest.

Schedule all your issues in one single visit. You might be tempted to call the plumber every time you need something fixed, but if you have problems repaired all at once, you will have time to save money for the fixes. Most plumbers have an hourly rate and a flat rate for the trip: asking a plumber to fix multiple problems in one visit to your home.

If you have clogged pipes and thinking about using a pipe cleaner, one that is enzyme based is highly recommended. These types of cleaners will use natural bacteria so that the sludge will turn into liquid form, and be removed from your pipes. The best cleaner available on the market are the enzyme ones.

TIP! Enzyme based pipe cleaners should be a first choice when you are trying to unclog a pipe that is blocked or draining slowly. Enzyme based cleaners work by using natural bacteria that turns the sludge clogged in your pipes into a liquid, allowing it to flow down the drain with ease.

Chemical Reaction

An expensive plumbing issue to pay for repairs is when your pipes freeze. Thankfully, you can prevent your pipes from freezing. Make sure that any outdoor pipes are well insulated. Once the temperature starts to drop, disconnect your hoses after you have drained them out, and make sure the outside faucet is turned off. Making sure that all of this is done will have you a lot of money in plumbing bills.

TIP! Frozen pipes can cause some very expensive plumbing repair jobs. Fortunately, such damage is easy to prevent.

Pour baking soda and vinegar down your bathtub drain once a month. Plug up the opening or cover it with a cloth while the chemical reaction to occur. Wait until the chemical reaction runs its course, then flush it with boiling water. This should help clear your pipes of hair and soap scum.

Trying to clean grout caught in a line by yourself is fruitless. Do your best to break it up and flush it down. This will work better if the pipes you have are plastic instead of metal. You might have to get a professional to get rid of this issue.

TIP! If grout is stick within the line, it is likely useless to try cleaning it on your own. You can attempt to dislodge the blockage or break it up to help remove it.

Installing efficient shower heads can save you a lot of money when it comes to your energy bill. The majority of the hot water.When you invest in energy-efficient shower heads, you will save around 100 dollars or more per shower.

Always check for leaks in and around your toilets. An easy way to determine this is to add a couple drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. If the water in the bowl turns colors, it is leaking.

TIP! Make sure your toilet is not leaking. Put food coloring into your toilet water in the tank to test for leaks.

Don’t flush items like paper towels, sanitary napkins, diapers or cotton balls, paper towels and cotton balls.

Valves that are used only infrequently sometimes fuse together. Use penetrating oil to maintain them and run water through them once in a while.

TIP! Make it a habit to run your rarely used valves on a regular basis to avoid plumbing problems. You have to turn them often to avoid sticking, and keep penetrating them with oil.

Don’t run the water when the garbage disposal. In some cases, it could cause garbage to stick to your disposal, which can create more damage.

Everyone in your family should know exactly where your home’s main water shut off valve is and how to use it. You should be able to find the water meter close by or directly on it. Water fixtures typically have a cut-off valve of their own. Show every family member where the valves are, and add markings showing how to turn them off in case of emergency.

TIP! Everyone in your family should know exactly where your home’s main water shut off valve is and how to use it. A water meter should be located on or near it.

There are two ways to remove stubborn clean-out plug. The first one is to use a hammer and chisel to attempt loosening the fitting loose. The only other thing you can do is chisel through the plug.

A lot of people are scared of plumbing problems because they think they can wreck their homes. This can be avoided if you know just one thing. In order to prevent water damage to your home, you must know the location of the water register, and how you can quickly turn it off.

TIP! A lot of people are intimidated by plumbing issues and think that even small problems will ruin their home. This is easily avoided if you only know one thing.

If you’ve got issues with your toilet blocking, you have something clogging the works below the street. If you cannot clear the blockage, contact a professional plumber, usually a plumber’s snake.

Choose which drain cleaners you use with care. Some contain strong chemicals that will probably damage your pipes. Always be sure to use products that claim to be safe for pipes. Some of these chemicals kill beneficial bacteria in your plumbing that is needed for the system to function correctly, and they may also be quite harmful to humans.

TIP! Choose your drain cleaner with care. It is possible that your pipes may be damaged with the wrong type of cleaner.

As much of a bother as plumbing issues can be, there are many methods to use to repair them. With proper research and information, these problems can be repaired quickly. Do yourself a favor and try using the above tips to help get rid of your plumbing problems.

Objects like bananas, pumpkins and chicken skins can damage garbage disposal blades. Throw out hard-to-grind things in a garbage can first, and then place the rest of the food in the disposal.

TIP! Items that shouldn’t go in the disposal include chicken skin, pumpkins, carrots and bananas. All these foods can catch on the blades and cause clogs.