Helpful Plumbing Tips From The Pro s Who Know

Often, the plumbing in a house starts malfunctioning soon after you move in. You'll find them in the bathroom, kitchen, or basement, but hopefully not in the walls! Plumbing issues can be extremely expensive, especially if they are not handled immediately. Keep reading to find tips that will assist you in dealing with those problems. Water hammer problems, pipe noise due to water hitting the back of the pipe, can be easily repaired. Anchor any pipes that are exposed. You might want to contact a professional when the pipes are hard to access. Keep your plumbing flowing by maintaining a temperature above 32 degrees and wrapping up any exposed pipe works. Obviously, if it is below freezing outdoors, the pipes will be subjected to the same temperatures. It can take a while for the pipes to thaw, which means you will not be able to run water for quite some time. At worst, they will burst and you'll be paying to repair the damage. Pass on seemingly convenient cleaning products like bleach tablets and blue toilet tabs. While they may be effective deodorizers, they can damage rubber parts in your toilet. If they become too damaged, your toilet will not operate properly. Have all your plumbing needs scheduled all at once. You might be tempted to contact a plumber every time you face a small problem, but if you have problems repaired all at once, you will have time to save money for the fixes. It is a lot more cost effective as you will only be paying for one call-out fee instead of multiple trips. Don't pour cooking grease, leftover frying fat or any oils down your sink drain. Whenever they cool, they tend to harden and make clogs inside your drains. Oils are especially damaging to garbage disposals. Dump your oil outside or in a container that you throw out with the regular trash. Orange or pink discoloration on your bathroom fixtures is a solid indication that your water contains too much iron. 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. Sometimes, you will be forced to use a certain plumber, but that doesn't mean that looking him up on Angie's List or a similar site isn't a good idea. Take advantage of customer feedback on your insurance carriers website. This will give you a greater level of comfort than going into it blind. Installing shower heads that are more effective can save you a lot on your energy head. Your shower consumes a majority of the hot water usage in your home. Investing just a few bucks in these newer shower heads can yield triple digit annual savings. If you have pipes that are clogged, try a cleaner that is enzyme based. These are cleaners that work by using natural bacteria to eat away at your clog, and turn it into a liquid that is then flushed from your pipes. Some of the finest cleaners are enzyme cleaners. Clean the aerator to fix low pressure problems in case you have sediment buildups. Take the aerator off, disassemble it, and brush it clean with a little vinegar. Rinse the aerator with water, put it back together and then attach it back onto the faucet. This will improve the water pressure by clearing out blockages in the aerator. Prevention is necessary when you want to keep plumbing bills down. Clogs present one of the top reasons for needing a major plumbing repair. Drains can be clogged by hair. Stop hair from going down drains with a drain cover or screen designed for this purpose. It is easier to take hair off a screen than to clear it from a pipe. As made obvious here, there is quite a few things that can be done to fix up your home plumbing. By implementing these tips, you will save money since you won't need to contact a professional plumber.