How experienced are you with plumbing? Do you want to make it better if so? What plumbing skills do you already have? If you’re unsure of your answers to these questions, you need to read this article.
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 it is below freezing outdoors, the pipes will be subjected to the same temperatures, obviously. It can take a while for the pipes to thaw, which means you will not be able to run water for quite some time. They might burst, which will cause an enormous repair and mess bill.
Pump your septic tank about once every five years, to make sure it is working well. Regular maintenance will keep sediment from backing up inside of the tank. It can cause the tank to fail completely, although sediment can not only cause the sewage in the tank to back up into your house. In this case, the cost of prevention definitely outweighs having your septic backing up into your house or failing.
Never pay for a plumbing job completely until they have finished the job. Before the plumber begins the job, you might have to put money down initially. However, do not pay everything up front instead, only pay once the job is successfully completed. It is good to know that the plumber did everything as promised before he gets his money.
If you have any floor damage, check floors around toilets for softness, so you can tell. Straddle the toilet, so you can rock from one leg to another to determine whether there’s weakness in the floor. You can save money if you notice the problem as soon as possible.
Give all drains strainers to gather particulate matter that can clog pipes. Each time a filter is clogged, it should be cleaned. The ones in your bathtub should also be cleaned frequently, as needed.
Have all the plumbing repairs done in one visit. It helps to get everything done at once, even though of course, our natural inclination is to handle problems as they arise. Even if you only have one noticeable problem, you can still get a plumber to inspect other areas. Another reason it lowers costs is that plumbers bill per hour worked, and due to partial hour effects, doing all the work at once results in lower billable hours.
If the hose that leads to your kitchen sink has not been maintained or installed properly, you may notice that water is constantly draining to the dishwasher. If it is configured in an uphill and downhill position, the water will not drain into the dishwasher from the sink.
Did you learn something new about plumbing? Are you more informed about the plumbing system your house has? Are your plumbing skills better now? Do you know how to incorporate and use items compatible with your system? Have you figured out how the equipment works? Hopefully, you are able to answer all of these questions positively and have furthered your plumbing knowledge.