plumbing tips, tricks, and techniques to keep your pipes clean

3
Plumbing Tips, Tricks, And Techniques To Keep Your Pipes Clean Plumbing can be very intimidating to someone that has never done it before. It can easily lead to a bit of information overload because of all of the resources available to new plumbers. Below are some tips to assist you in getting all of this information organized to where you can start plumbing correctly. If you have issues with the plumbing making a hammering sound when you turn it off, check your water pressure. Any time your water pressure is above 80 PSI, you will hear extra water noise. This can be easily solved by the installation of a pressure-reducing valve, which can be done by most homeowners. Before starting any plumbing project on your own be sure to do a great deal of research. There are many resources available to assist you in understanding your plumbing system and help you to avoid many common mistakes made by do-it-yourself novices. Reading about other people's mistakes can make the difference of saving or losing money. Do not fall for the idea that liquid grease can be easily washed down the drain with hot water. While the grease may flow past the initial drain with the water, it does not take much of a temperature change as it moves through your pipes to alter from liquid to solid. The repeat habit of dumping grease in the sink is a sure-fire way to ensure a hard-to-reach clog forming in the future. Do not put your hand in the garbage disposal to remove a clog. This can be potentially harmful. Always use tongs to get out whatever is stuck in the disposal. Using tongs is much safer, and you will make sure your hand does not get cut on the disposer's sharp blades. Avoid the bursting of pipes due to the change in the temperature. You need to allow the flow of heat to reach under the sinks and into the pipes, you have to keep the cabinet doors of the bathrooms and kitchens open. It is important to keep water running at both hot and cold faucets along with vanities that are in close proximity to exterior walls. Sometimes kitchen sinks can be clogged up due to a slow accumulation of solidified grease. One quick fix for this is to try pouring very hot grease down the sink, which will liquefy the grease clogging the drain and carry it down. Water won't work, because grease will not dissolve in water. 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 http://www.bradfordwhite.com/ for a leaking pipes. Make sure you turn off the water and completely dry the pipe before applying the epoxy. You should drain all of the water out of the tank of your hot water heater at least once every three to six months. Draining all of the water out of the tank helps to prevent sediment build-up at the bottom of the tank. This sediment can cause the tank to bang or to heat less efficiently. Enzyme based pipe cleaners work really well at unclogging your pipes. These will utilize natural bacteria to transform sludge into a liquid that can be removed. The best options on the market now

Upload: hahnymaxmobfwt

Post on 16-Aug-2015

8 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Plumbing Tips, Tricks, And Techniques To Keep Your Pipes Clean

Plumbing Tips, Tricks, And Techniques To Keep Your PipesClean

Plumbing can be very intimidating to someone that has never done it before. It can easily lead to abit of information overload because of all of the resources available to new plumbers. Below aresome tips to assist you in getting all of this information organized to where you can start plumbingcorrectly.

If you have issues with the plumbing making a hammering sound when you turn it off, check yourwater pressure. Any time your water pressure is above 80 PSI, you will hear extra water noise. Thiscan be easily solved by the installation of a pressure-reducing valve, which can be done by mosthomeowners.

Before starting any plumbing project on your own be sure to do a great deal of research. There aremany resources available to assist you in understanding your plumbing system and help you to avoidmany common mistakes made by do-it-yourself novices. Reading about other people's mistakes canmake the difference of saving or losing money.

Do not fall for the idea that liquid grease can be easily washed down the drain with hot water. Whilethe grease may flow past the initial drain with the water, it does not take much of a temperaturechange as it moves through your pipes to alter from liquid to solid. The repeat habit of dumpinggrease in the sink is a sure-fire way to ensure a hard-to-reach clog forming in the future.

Do not put your hand in the garbage disposal to remove a clog. This can be potentially harmful.Always use tongs to get out whatever is stuck in the disposal. Using tongs is much safer, and you willmake sure your hand does not get cut on the disposer's sharp blades.

Avoid the bursting of pipes due to the change in the temperature. You need to allow the flow of heatto reach under the sinks and into the pipes, you have to keep the cabinet doors of the bathrooms andkitchens open. It is important to keep water running at both hot and cold faucets along with vanitiesthat are in close proximity to exterior walls.

Sometimes kitchen sinks can be clogged up due to a slow accumulation of solidified grease. Onequick fix for this is to try pouring very hot grease down the sink, which will liquefy the greaseclogging the drain and carry it down. Water won't work, because grease will not dissolve in water.

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

You should drain all of the water out of the tank of your hot water heater at least once every three tosix months. Draining all of the water out of the tank helps to prevent sediment build-up at thebottom of the tank. This sediment can cause the tank to bang or to heat less efficiently.

Enzyme based pipe cleaners work really well at unclogging your pipes. These will utilize naturalbacteria to transform sludge into a liquid that can be removed. The best options on the market now

Page 2: Plumbing Tips, Tricks, And Techniques To Keep Your Pipes Clean

are enzyme cleaners.

If you find that your pipes have frozen during the cold winter months open all the faucets in yourhome. This lowers the water pressure for when the pipes thaw and the water is freely flowing again.Make sure to open all the faucets not just those that are frequently used.

Do not pour grease and oil down your drains. Cooking grease will build up in your pipes and couldcause back-ups. Keep grease and oil in a container in your fridge and throw it in the trash when it isfull. Avoid clogging your pipes with any products containing oil or grease.

Make sure you shut off your main system before leaving your house for a few weeks. The water willstay in the pipes, but this should prevent any further damages in case a leak starts while you areaway. Check that your shut-off valve is working properly before you leave.

Always keep a trash bin in the bathroom so that you can dispose of cotton swabs, facial pads, andhair. Do not put these materials in the toilet as they can cause clogs over time and disrupt yourwater flow. These items will not dissolve or break down when submerged in water.

If you think you understand what is wrong with your toilet, but aren't sure, you should first do somemore research on the internet. Most plumbing problems are fairly standard, and you should be ableto read about the problem in great detail on several amateur plumber forums to make sure youunderstand the problem.

To prevent the most common kitchen sink clogs, avoid putting any sort of solid foods down yourdrain. Many foods, such as eggs and vegetable and fruit waste actually harden with exposure to coldwater and over time can form clogs that are next to impossible to remove without professional help.

To avoid plumbing disasters in your kitchen,never place hard-to-grind, stringy, fibrouswaste, such as poultry skins, banana peels,carrots, celery, or cantaloupe pulp, into thegarbage disposer. The disposer can'tsufficiently grind these food products and theywill clog your sink drain. You should also runcold water down the drain for about 15 secondsbefore and after using the garbage disposer toflush the waste down the main drain.

If you have water heater replacement labor costa leaky faucet, the problem may be mineralbuildup. Mineral building can cause you to havea broken seal in your faucet which will causeleaks and make it unreliable. If you've already

checked for the most common leak problem which is the washer, looking for buildup is the nextpossible culprit.

The best thing you can do if you smell a foul odor coming from your toilet is to call a plumber. There

Page 3: Plumbing Tips, Tricks, And Techniques To Keep Your Pipes Clean

is a good chance that you may have a sewer backup. Not only can this cause pipe damage, butinhaling the smells from sewer backups is harmful to your help.

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