It seems that plumbing problems often occur right after a new house is purchased. Most plumbing problems are found in the kitchen and bathroom. At some time, everyone who owns a home will have some type of problem with the plumbing. Here’s some tips to use when this happens.
Don’t let your house temperature drop to below freezing and make sure to insulate anything that is exposed to the outside elements to prevent frozen pipes. If the temperature surrounding these pipes is below the freezing point, your pipes could freeze. If pipes do freeze, the best possible scenario would include taking time for the pipes to thaw and any frozen water to drain. On the other hand, they can burst, which gets messy and really expensive.
Pass on seemingly convenient cleaning products like bleach tablets and blue toilet tabs. 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.
Garbage Disposal
If you encounter a problem with your garbage disposal, resist the urge to reach in and fix it with your bare hands. A garbage disposal can be dangerous, even when it is not on. Try to find a diagram, or troubleshooting guide for your particular disposal on the Internet.
If you have a well at your home and notice pink or orange stains around the drains of your tub or sink, this is most likely caused by an excess of iron in your water. You can use water softener that you buy at the store to remedy this situation, or you can have a professional do it for you.
Schedule your plumbing work simultaneously. It can be tempting to call a plumber each time you have a minor problem, but saving plumbing work for one time allows you to put money aside for the repairs. It is a lot more cost effective as you will only be paying for one call-out fee instead of multiple trips.
Don’t use your toilet like a trash can, and you minimize potential problems. Avoid flushing pads, cotton, towels, tissues or anything that cannot dissolve easily to avoid plugging the pipes. Even toilet tissue should be used conservatively. Use enough to clean yourself, of course, but if you need to use wads of tissue you should flush several times in the process instead of waiting till the end.
Calling a plumber for every issue will add up to a huge bill, so it’s important to deal with small plumbing issues yourself as they arise. Every homeowner should arm themselves with a few basic plumbing tools and repair tips. The next time something goes wrong, you’ll be ready.
