Effective Plumbing Pointers

Plumbing repairs may be costly. If you would like to minimize your need for expensive plumbing services in the future, it might be worthwhile to learn a few plumbing pointers that will help you solve many residential plumbing problems yourself. You may not become an overnight plumbing expert, but read if you would like to learn a few plumbing

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pointers and save money when plumbing problems occur.

Clogged drains are a common issue, but with proper maintenance and preventive measures you will be able to avoid a big mess. To help maintain proper drainage throughout your home, it is best to attack any drainage issue as soon as water starts to drain slowly. Clogged drains aren’t only an annoyance, but a common cause of significant water damage and expense.

There are lots of ways to unclog a drain. You can attempt use a plunger first. Please note that although, it will make some mess, the toilet bowl or sink should have water in it in order to improve the suction force caused by the plunger. If that does not work try using a chemical agent like baking soda and some vinegar, which are generally available around one’s home, and may be mixed together and poured down any clogged drain. Wait a while and then attempt to plunge the drain again. If all else fails, stronger chemical agents are available at your local hardware store; however, various acids may not be allowed to set more than a few minutes in a drain pipe may corrode and actually start to leak. Another method to cope with a clogged drain when no drain snake is available is the use of a hanger to clear the clog. By straightening a hanger, you may be able to clear many clogged sink drains. Simply slide the hangar in as deep as possible and poke in and out repeatedly until the clog is cleared.

Lastly in regards to prevention of clogged drains, it is very important to keep a trash bin near all sinks and toilets allowing one to discard tea bags, cotton swabs, facial pads, super-absorbent paper towels, tampons and hair. Try not to allow such items into any drain as they will not dissolve or break down when submerged in water, will disrupt drainage and cause clogs to build up.

Another plumbing consideration is the installation of brass fittings instead of plastic (pvc) wherever possible. Although brass is more expensive, brass fittings may be tightened more without stripping, do not corrode, and generally are much more durable and last much longer. Furthermore, brass fittings may be reused. In the long run, if the use of a brass fitting avoids a burst or leaks, not to mention the resultant headache and subsequent expense, the fitting will end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.

To avoid pipes freezing during the winter, make certain to insulate any exposed pipes in you basement or crawl space. It is also important to pay attention to pipes close to the outside walls. Any pipe that has frozen previously should be insulated. Another extremely helpful pointer in order to prevent any water pipe from freezing during the winter, especially during heat outages or when properties are not occupied, is to allow a very slow drip to persist from any or all showers, sinks, spigots and/or tub faucets. If the water in any given pipe is not allowed to become still, its risk of freezing is very low.

If the water in your shower or tub seems colder than the water coming out of your kitchen faucet, don’t assume the worst. The faucets inside your shower or tub enclosure happen may be preset to prevent scalding water to flow. Readjustment is fairly easy by removing the faucet handle where a small mechanism prevent turning the handle passed a certain point.

In the effort to avoid unnecessary plumbing costs and the costly damage that can result, understanding and being able to resolve such issues is very important. Try applying the suggestions that we have provided above, and/or call us if you wish free phone support. However, Virginia Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning emergency plumbing and drain cleaning services 24-7.