Simple plumbing issues can not only hurt the image of your home but they can destroy your wallet. Simple things from clogged drains, to more advanced leaks can be incredibly destructive. Don’t fret however! With a few essential tips for the do it yourself home plumber, you will be ready to take care of any issue.
Ensure that everyone in your household knows how to turn off the main water supply, or knows how to contact some Tucson plumbers who can. In the event of a burst pipe or other water-related emergency, you should immediately turn off the water to prevent flooding, structural damage, and a sky-high water bill.
Roots from a tree in your back yard can be a real headache when it comes to plumbing. Make sure if you have a big tree or bush or some kind of plant with a big root system, that you ask your plumbing company about root killing agents. You can flush these down your toilet and kill any roots that may be blocking your pipes and save yourself a lot of money by stopping a back up before it happens.
During the winter, preventing frozen pipes when you live in a small dwelling can be something good to know. Frozen pipes will not only stop your flow of water but can crack and damage pipes. By running a little water out of every faucet during the coldest parts of the day, you can avoid this.
To keep your garbage disposal working at its best, use plenty of cold water when you turn it on. The blades on the unit will remain sharper and disposal will proceed with few glitches. Running hot water down the drain while you are using the garbage disposal can cause the drain to clog from any grease that is in there liquefying.
Treating your drains every month is a great way to avoid future clogs and other problems, and it’s a very simple procedure. Doing a proper drain cleaning will seriously help your plumbing system work to it’s best ability. Just run one to two gallons of hot tap water down each drain in your house.
Believe it or not, it is not a very good idea to use a plunger if your toilet is clogged. Plungers just push whatever is stuck deeper into the drain. Instead, it is a better idea to use a closet auger. It will do a better job and is affordable.
Be sure that you check on your water meter when it is not being used. Then, check on the meter 8 hours later. If the meter has changed, even a small amount, this could be a sign that there is an undetected water leak, which can be a severe problem.
When having a consultation about a job with the plumber in Tucson, take the opportunity to get to know them and their business better. Ask about their experience with the type of job that you are wanting to have done. Being comfortable with your plumbing contractor is important. They may be spending significant amounts of time in your house depending on the complexity of the job. You want to be convinced that they’re up to the task.
When getting an estimate from a contractor on a job, make sure to ask how long the written estimate is good for. For big jobs you usually want to get estimates from a few different plumbers. Knowing how long your estimate is valid will help you know what your time limit is for making a decision on who to hire.
When looking for a Tucson plumber, you have quite a few options. Ask friends for recommendations of who they use. Check online for plumbers with good reviews and references. Use Google and look under “Plumbing Contractors” or “Plumbing, Drain and Sewer Cleaning”. Make sure that you contact more than one plumber before making a choice.
Plumbing can be an advanced, highly technical profession where more often than not, you need an expert’s help. However, sometimes that is not the case and there are some simple do it yourself home fixes. If you take a little time to read about them you will find some of the most common plumbing problems are able to be handled by the common man.