Plumbing Tips And Tricks Made Simple For You
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 your pipes bang when you turn on the water, and all the pipes are anchored correctly, you should add some straps or cushion the pipes with a rubber blanket. There may be times when you will need to do both. Make sure that if you have copper pipes, you are not using galvanized straps.
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.
Run lots of cold water whenever you use your garbage disposal. Blades will stay sharper with cold water, making disposal quicker. Hot water will liquefy grease and build up inside the drain, eventually causing clogs.
Installing shower heads that are more effective can save you a lot on your energy head. You use the majority of your hot water in the shower. If you use energy efficient heads for your showers, you can save hundreds each year on your bills.
When it is time to replace your shower head, you should consider paying a little more for a better one. Choosing the cheapest shower head in the store can end up costing you more in the long run. Cheap shower heads are not well-made and are very likely to break. Buying a cheap shower head will end up costing you more money over the long-term.
Cover pipes that are outside or in cool areas. Use heat tape to make sure that the pipes are completely covered and insulated. This will prevent frozen pipes in the winter, which can be an expensive problem. Check outdoor pipes for other problems such as leaks and cracks which are better to catch early.
Check with the Department of Consumer Affairs when shopping for a good plumbing contractor. You can look at their track record, looking to see whether their license is valid and if they have any complaints lodged against them. Plumbers that you contract to work on your house should both have a current license and a good standing with their previous clients.
If the water pressure on your street exceeds 60 pounds, you many want to consider installing a pressure reducing valve. Too much water pressure is actually harmful to your plumbing system and could cause excess water pressure. A pressure reducing valve cuts down your water pressure by almost 50 percent.
Never try to undertake a project that you are unsure of. Additionally, never call on a friend to help you with something, if they are not a professoinal. There have been hundreds of good friendships ruined by a guy claiming to know exactly what he is doing, when the truth is he is clueless.
It is a general rule of thumb that you should replace a water faucet every seven years, even if you do not see anything wrong with it. Some faucet problems are not visible to the naked eye, which is why it is so important for them to replaced every so often.
When facing temperatures below freezing in the winter it is important to leave the hot water dripping. This makes sure that the pipes don't freeze over and saves you the expensive repair of fixing and or entirely replacing a broken pipe. The slight cost of dripping hot water is well worth saving you from that large expense of replacing a broken pipe.
If you are seeing areas in your ceiling or walls that appear to have water damage or are sagging, make sure you turn off the power before inspecting. Electricity and water do not mix. The last thing you need is to go into the attic and get shocked by a pool of water.
The best thing you can do if you smell a foul odor coming from your toilet is to call a plumber. There is a good chance that you may have a sewer backup. Not only can this cause pipe damage, but inhaling the smells from sewer backups is harmful to your help.
Never pour grease of any kind down your kitchen drains, especially grease from animal sources, which tends to harden rather quickly. The grease can congeal in your pipes and cause disastrous clogs and back-ups. It's better to dispose of grease in the trash to keep your drains flowing well.
Hopefully, these tips have provided you with some very valuable information, as well as given you a way to organize all of the thoughts and information you may have already had on plumbing. Keeping these tips in mind when you start plumbing can help you to become a very good plumber.
Navassa, NC