Plumbing Tips

"When something goes wrong with the plumbing in your house, it’s usually wise to call a plumber out to come deal with the problem. However, you might not always be in the position to call a plumber. Maybe you don’t have the money right now or perhaps you need a quick fix to an emergency plumbing problem. When those times come up, life is a whole lot easier if you know how to do some basic plumbing yourself.

Here are some common plumbing tips that many people rely on for taking care of the issues that arise in their homes:

o A few simple tools can go a long way towards fixing clogged drains. Keep a drain brush, a small wet/dry vac and a basic tool set around and know how to use them.
o Drain cleaners are good for quick fixes of clogged drains so always be sure to have a bottle on hand.
o Insulate your pipes in the winter to prevent them from freezing. If they do freeze, use a heat lamp to help them slowly unthaw.
o Keep a strainer over your shower drain so that hair will be less likely to plug it up.
o Leaky faucets are often caused by a problem with the washer inside the faucet. Learn to unscrew and replace this faucet to save yourself problems with the water bill.
o Prevention is always better than dealing with a problem so incorporate cleaning your plumbing into your regular household chores.
o Rely on your local hardware store. The people who work in these departments are usually happy to help you solve your problem. Make friends and count on them in times of need.
o Rubber is the single most important item to have on hand if you want to be able to temporarily fix leaky pipes yourself. You’ll also need clamps to hold the rubber on to the leak.
o Take a class or read a book about fixing your toilet. The biggest emergency problem in a home is the toilet. You can usually handle leaky faucets and even clogged drains long enough to get professional help but a toilet is something that you don’t want to be without for long. Learn every aspect of repairing this on your own so that you can help yourself when it breaks.
o Use the pop-up stopper on your drains. To use them effectively, make sure that you clean them regularly.
o Whenever you take something apart, be able to put it back together. You can do a lot of help to your plumbing by being able to dismantle your pipes. When you do this, line up each part in the order it came off on so that you can easily see how to put it back together.

Being able to solve simple plumbing problems on your own is an important skill. However, it’s just as important to be humble enough to know when you’re in over your head and have to call a plumber!"