When you have to do your own plumbing jobs, you may not know which tools, equipment, regulations or ...

1. Plumbing 101: Tips And Tricks For Your Pipes
When you have to do your own plumbing jobs, you may not know which tools, equipment,
regulations or instructions you may need to get started. These tips can help you become a much
better plumber.
If you have a clogged toilet and a plunger is not helping to clear the blockage, if the water level is
low, pouring a bucking of boiling water from a height into the toilet bowl could resolve the problem.
The water should go down, and you can pour another bucket of water if the toilet is still clogged.
If you encounter a problem with your garbage disposal, resist the urge to reach in and fix it with
your bare hands. Garbage disposals are not healthy places for hands to be, even if they are not
running. It's advised to obtain a diagram, possibly off of the Internet, that depicts your machine in
accurate detail.
Use a drain strainer to prevent small particles from sliding down your drain and causing clogs.
Thoroughly clean the strainer on a regular basis. Bathtubs should be equipped with strainers as
well, and they too will need to be cleaned regularly.
Keep grease, fat and oil out of your kitchen drain. They can clog your drains once they cool down. If
the sink has a garbage disposal, it will also make the blades less efficient. You should dispose of all
oils outside of the sink.
Cleaning your in-sink garbage disposal can extend its lifetime significantly. By regularly "cleaning"
the disposal with lemon rinds, cherry pits and dish soap, you can make sure that your garbage
disposal is running well and smelling so clean it could be new.
If you want avoid future issues with your toilet, don't treat it like a trash can. Avoid flushing pads,
cotton, towels, tissues or anything that cannot dissolve easily to avoid plugging the pipes. Use the
least amount of toilet paper that you can; use just as much as necessary to properly clean yourself.
Make sure a new shower head is of high quality. It's common to think it's fine to buy the one that is
the cheapest. 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.
Clean out your dryer's lint filter. This will help your dryer to work better and may also prevent fires.
Make sure that you inspect the lint trap for any holes or tears that might mean lint is going to your
pipes, which might lead to clogs and other problems to deal with.
Do not attempt to remove grout from your plumbing. You could dislodge the grout and cause it go
further down. This works better with plastic piping than it does with metal. This usually requires
professional people to come in to help you get rid of this problem.
Valves that are used only infrequently sometimes fuse together. Clean them using penetrating oil by
turning them regularly to prevent them from sticking.
When the time comes and you need the assistance of a plumber, the DCA can supply you with
excellent records for review or reference. You can look at their track record, looking to see whether
their license is valid and if they have any complaints lodged against them. If they are not licensed or

2. have complaints, you should choose someone else to do the job.
Always know in your mind exactly where the valve is that will cut the water off on your property.
There should be a nearby water meter. Many fixtures, such as sinks or toilets, will have their own
valves to shut off the water to them. To prepare for an emergency, make sure that everyone in your
family is familiar with the location of the valves. It also helps to mark the valves with arrows
indicating the direction in which they should be turned to shut them off or turn them on.
Because plumbing is a mysterious and hidden field to a lot of homeowners, they are willing to take
any claim and any bill from a plumber at face value, no matter how ridiculous it is. All homeowners
should work to become educated about plumbing so they have an idea what contractors do when
they come. It will be more difficult to put one over on you if you become a better-educated client.
Carefully choose drain cleaners. Some contain strong chemicals that will probably damage your
pipes. You need to select a cleaner that has been advertised as being gentle on pipes. There are
varieties of chemicals that are not only dangerous for humans, but will also destroy certain types of
bacteria that are helpful to the plumbing system.
As you have seen, plumbing, while appearing intimidating, is not all that complicated. There are
many basics that you should know first. You can handle any plumbing job armed with the right
research, the will to work and common sense.