Water may be needed to live, but it can be the bane of the frustrated homeowner who has to deal with plumbing problems. There aren’t many ways to destroy a house faster than a major plumbing problem.

Avoid using any tablets that are meant to reduce odor in and around your toilet. Both of these may help to eliminate odors from your toilet, but it can also damage the rubber parts of your toilet, causing it to not function probably, or even to break down completely.

You should clean your septic tank every five years for best performance. Although it could cost a good deal of money to pump out your septic tank, it is nothing compared to what you will have to spend on cleaning up a backup of sewage or repairing or replacing your septic system.

Check for softness in your floor to determine flood damage. Stand over the toilet, then rock it back and forth to see if any weakening in the floor has occurred. You can save a lot if you catch these issue sooner.

Knowing what tools are what and how to use them can help greatly in your plumbing experience. Before undertaking repairs on your own, plan ahead, a mistake could make repairs even more costly.

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. Using a water softener can help fix this problem. You can obtain a water softener at any home improvement store, or rent them from specialist companies.

Don’t use any colored tablets in your toilet.These products may well remove odors, but they can seriously damage the rubber pieces in the toilet, causing poor functionality or even complete breakdown of the fixture.

Keep your garbage disposal clean to make sure it lasts for awhile. You can prevent annoying odors and promote smooth operation by setting up a regular cleaning routine with lemon rinds, dish soap, and even cherry pits.

Overflow Holes

Run cold water through your garbage disposal. Blades will stay sharper with cold water, making disposal quicker. Hot water can liquify grease and cause it to collect in the drain, and that can clog the pipes.

Ensure that the overflow holes in your sinks are not been clogged. Clear overflow holes periodically when doing your periodic checks for other problems and plumbing issues that should be addressed.

To limit toilet problems, don’t use it as a trash can. Never flush paper towels, tissue, diapers, or tampons. These things do not break up correctly and can clog your pipes. You will also want to use the least amount of toilet paper as required.

Don’t flush items like paper towels, sanitary napkins, tissues, because these items don’t break down and may cause clogging issues.

Be sure that the dryer’s lint trap is clean. This can prevent troubles, including fires. Search the lint trap to see if there are any tears or holes, this helps to prevent lint from getting into the pipes, which can cause clogs and many other problems.

Some people think it’s alright to get away with the cheapest head for your shower in the store. The disadvantage to doing so is that they are not very sturdy and easily break.

Prevention is necessary when you want to keep plumbing bills down. Drain clogs can be expensive and are actually a major repair, one of the most common ones, too. Hair can cause clogs, among many other things. You can prevent hair from getting into your drains by simply installing a device on top of your drain such as a screen, which will trap the hair from getting into the pipes. It is much easier to remove the hair from a screen than it is to get it out of a pipe.

Use a cleaner that is enzyme based cleaners when cleaning clogged pipes.These natural bacteria cleaners turn sludge into liquid, which turn sludge into liquid form that can be easily removed from your pipes. Enzyme cleaners are efficient and will not corrosive so they won’t erode your pipes.

Frozen pipes can cost you a significant amount to repair. However, most of the time, you can prevent this from happening. Insulate the pipes that run outside with proper material. When it is cold outside make sure you bring in your hoses or at least drain them. Taking proper precautions can save you lots of money on plumbing bills.

Don’t bother running water when the garbage disposal. In contrast, sending water and garbage through the disposal together can shorten its lifespan by encouraging more waste to stick to the moving parts.

If you have grout in your water line, you shouldn’t try cleaning it yourself because it will be pointless. The grout can be broken in order to send it further down the line. Plastic pipes, if you have them, will work better than metal. On the other hand, this situation usually ends in a call to a professional plumber.

Drain Cleaners

If you’ve got issues with your toilet blocking, see if the blockage exists at the branch line which connects the sewage and main lines. If you have tried and cannot remove the blockage, you will need a plumber to come to your home and run the plumbing snake down into the toilet to clear the blockage.

Don’t rely on drain cleaners constantly. Drain cleaners contain harsh chemicals and can actually damage pipes with frequent use. If you do have a clogged drain, hire a pro to figure out the problem.

Those valves that rarely get used have a way of fusing together. You can prevent them from becoming fused by regularly maintaining them with a penetrating oil, and running water through them on a regular basis.

If you need to hire a plumber, make sure you check out their reviews. A plumber with bad credentials might not skilled in a particular task could actually aggravate the problem.Always check the reviews on plumbers, such as family and friends.

Although plumbing mostly has to do with water, you still need many other skills to become a good plumber. Plumbers are most frequently called upon to repair or clear water lines.

Being properly informed and ready for any situation makes it much easier to avoid problems with plumbing. A homeowner is likely to make good decisions and avoid plumbing disasters if he bothers to learn some things about the subject. Furthermore, taking the initiative to thoroughly research and study the problem in advance of making repairs will save time and money.

Avoid chemical based drain openers when you need to deal with drain clogs. Even though these products may help to open up your drain, the chemicals in them can cause damage to your body, especially if they get on your skin. Wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt if you absolutely must use them.