Useful Plumbing Hints & Short-Cuts Homeowners Should Learn
Americans dream of owning their own house some day. Finally entering the house which they can call a home is one of the greatest moments in an individual's life. But, many people forget to include upkeep and home maintenance costs in their budget when buying a home. A clogged toilet or broken pipes are common problems of every household. It is very easy to learn plumbing techniques and how to fix common problems without the help of a professional. This way, a significant amount of money can be saved. Here are some tricks on how to fix the pipes without hiring a plumber.
Identify your Pipes - One should be familiar with differences in pipe materials. Local code requirements can limit which type of pipes one can use. For example, a ridged copper pipe is used for the main water line and this pipe cannot be bent. When this type of pipe is used, joints have to be brazed on.
Pipe Soldering - Instead of hiring a professional to do it, most people are perfectly capable of doing the soldering by themselves. The first thing to do is to clean the pipe thoroughly. Emery cloth is the most basic and simplest tool used for pipe cleaning. When soldering, apply the heat directly to the fitting and not to the pipe. This technique will secure the joint, making it firm and tight.
Leakages - The easiest way to fix this problem in a copper pipe is to use a union or a coupler. A union is a piece of pipe and it always needs to be larger than the pipe on which it fits. The water supply has to be turned off. Drain the water from the pipe. Find the exact spot where the leakage occurs and cut the pipe there. With the union, connect two ends. Another common leakage problem in a home is toilet leakage. However, often condensation build-up at the bottom of the toilet is wrongly identified as a toilet leak. In order to check whether it is a toilet leak or not, add food coloring to the basin.
Slow Drains - Build-up of sludge is the most common cause of a slow drain. This can be fixed with plunging or chemicals. If this does not help, there is a simple tool most plumbers use called a snake. It is a metal wire, very long and flexible, which can be forced through the plumbing system in order to locate and remove clogs.
Clanging Pipes - Sometimes a strange loud clanging noise occurs after flushing the toilet. In most of the cases, this is caused by pressure build - up. In order to stop this noise, turn down the water pressure at the stop valve.
Frozen pipes - This is a very serious problem for homeowners living in a cold weather areas. It is recommended always to turn off and empty the system, if the home is going to be vacated for an extended period of time. If the pipe gets frozen, one should warm it up with bottles of hot water or with a hair dryer.
Plumbing can cause serious stress to homeowners. Costs connected to repairs are also significant. With the help of these basic tricks, a few hundreds of dollars a year can be saved.
Identify your Pipes - One should be familiar with differences in pipe materials. Local code requirements can limit which type of pipes one can use. For example, a ridged copper pipe is used for the main water line and this pipe cannot be bent. When this type of pipe is used, joints have to be brazed on.
Pipe Soldering - Instead of hiring a professional to do it, most people are perfectly capable of doing the soldering by themselves. The first thing to do is to clean the pipe thoroughly. Emery cloth is the most basic and simplest tool used for pipe cleaning. When soldering, apply the heat directly to the fitting and not to the pipe. This technique will secure the joint, making it firm and tight.
Leakages - The easiest way to fix this problem in a copper pipe is to use a union or a coupler. A union is a piece of pipe and it always needs to be larger than the pipe on which it fits. The water supply has to be turned off. Drain the water from the pipe. Find the exact spot where the leakage occurs and cut the pipe there. With the union, connect two ends. Another common leakage problem in a home is toilet leakage. However, often condensation build-up at the bottom of the toilet is wrongly identified as a toilet leak. In order to check whether it is a toilet leak or not, add food coloring to the basin.
Slow Drains - Build-up of sludge is the most common cause of a slow drain. This can be fixed with plunging or chemicals. If this does not help, there is a simple tool most plumbers use called a snake. It is a metal wire, very long and flexible, which can be forced through the plumbing system in order to locate and remove clogs.
Clanging Pipes - Sometimes a strange loud clanging noise occurs after flushing the toilet. In most of the cases, this is caused by pressure build - up. In order to stop this noise, turn down the water pressure at the stop valve.
Frozen pipes - This is a very serious problem for homeowners living in a cold weather areas. It is recommended always to turn off and empty the system, if the home is going to be vacated for an extended period of time. If the pipe gets frozen, one should warm it up with bottles of hot water or with a hair dryer.
Plumbing can cause serious stress to homeowners. Costs connected to repairs are also significant. With the help of these basic tricks, a few hundreds of dollars a year can be saved.
About the Author:
Specializing in residential and commercial heating in Vancouver, you can trust the plumbing contractors Vancouver company to deliver quality results.
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