As a new homeowner, knowing your way around your plumbing is such an important thing to do. Plumbing disasters happen every day, but there are all the complex networks of pipes, drains, and appliances that are present to make your life easier. There are a few plumbing tips for beginners, free plumbing advice, and what every plumber should know that new homeowners do not know.
So, here are some plumbing tips and tricks for you:
- Get to know your water main
The first access point for your water is your water main. It is usually located near the water heater in the basement where you will see a shutoff valve that is either a lever or a wheel. The valve will stop the flow of water into your home completely if you close it. If you have a major plumbing project, a situation with a leak, or a burst pipe, this would stop the water from flowing into your home.
- Learn to deal with clogged drains
Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing problems and at some point, you are going to have a clogged drain. In the showers, our hair falls out and eventually builds up over time, and using one of those liquid drain clearers is a huge mistake. If your sink or your tub is backed up, you should get a snake or a similar tool that can pull it all out.
- Have a working pressure reducing valve
Having high pressure water is not the safest so you have to bring it down to a safe level. You could do this by installing a pressure reducing valve so you could control the pressure of the water in your household.
- Constantly keep tabs on the water pressure
Having a healthy plumbing system is important in your plumbing system. You should monitor your home’s water pressure as often as you can. Pick up a simple pressure gauge that is pretty cheap at any hardware or home improvement store.
- Respect your garbage disposal
Garbage disposals are basically god-sent but they definitely cannot handle everything. Before running your garbage disposal, you should let some cold water run into the drain for five or ten seconds before putting some ice cubes in the garbage disposal periodically to keep the blades sharp.
- Take care of your toilet
First, you should make sure that you only flush toilet paper and your own waste down the toilet. Cotton swabs, baby wipes, paper towels, and other things can go through the pipes and eventually clog them. You are going to need a plunger, if you don’t have one, it is recommended that you have one.
You should also make sure that the toilet is working properly. Especially if the tanks need replacing because sometimes there might be toilet leaks that are so tiny that they don’t make any noise that you need to go and handle. You could check for obvious leaks by putting food coloring in the toilet tank and if the color is still there after half an hour, then you have a leak.
- Protect your pipes from the cold
If you live in a very cold place, especially in a state that has snow, frozen pipes could burst easily and lead to a five-figure repair bill. You should get your pipes winterized, your home properly insulated and any exterior pipes have some cold weather protection.
In the cold weather, pipes burst frequently when people are away from their homes for long periods of time and the thermostats are off or are set in a low setting. Keep your home at 60 degrees if you are going to go out on a winter vacation.
- Clean out your gutters as often as you need
Technically, gutters are not essentially a part of your plumbing system, it is still important for keeping water out of your home. Clogged gutters could really cause a lot of problems like water pooling on your roof, compromising the structure and these would let the water in the house. You should have your gutter cleaned out in the early spring and late summer.
- Look for signs of water leaks
Water leaks can happen all over your home and sometimes you cannot see it, out of plain sight. Make it a habit to periodically check around water fixtures and appliances for water leaks.
- Fix dripping faucets
Not only are water leaks annoying, but they also waste a ton of water. A drop or two a minute adds to thousands of gallons in a year which would cause extra dollars on your water bill. Dripping faucet coils are caused due to high water pressure or a faulty component in the fixture so you are going to have to check on that.
If it is hard for you to do all these things, you could always find your local plumber and get an inspection because not every plumbing problem has a simple DIY fix. So here are 4 tips when choosing a local plumbing contractors in New Orleans if you need some help in choosing the right plumber.