Be Your Own Plumber With The Help Of This Advice

If you have to fix the plumbing in your home, you may be overwhelmed about what to do and where to begin. The tips laid out here can help you realize what information you need to be a skilled plumber.


Act quickly if your pipes freeze! Shut off the water and open the faucet, enabling it to drain when it thaws. Starting with the faucet, and working your way to the iced-up area, aim a propane torch or hairdryer at the pipe - this will quickly defrost it. You could also wrap the pipe in a heating pad or aim a heat lamp at it, but this will take quite some time. A last resort is to wrap the pipe in rags and pour boiling water over it.


Periodically check your pipes for leaks and cracks. These can be forgotten, since pipes are usually hidden away, but checking for leaks and cracks can help you identify a small problem before a big problem occurs. You may have to enlist the help of a family member to turn on and off the water stream as you are checking.


Got a leaky pipe? In many cases you can repair this yourself without the expense of a plumber. If a joint is leaking, tighten it with a pipe wrench. If the leak is coming from a damaged section of pipe, you can try repairing with a store-bought patching kit. One method involves applying waterproof tape to the section of pipe where there is leakage. Before applying the tape, make sure the pipe is thoroughly dry. Make sure that the tape covers two to three inches on either side of the breakage in the pipe.


Have all the plumbing repairs done in one visit. You might be tempted to have a best plumber singapore (www.allplumbing.sg) come out for every little thing that happens, but kicking the can on some issues until you have a list means you can save a few bucks. This will cut down on your plumbing bill because they can not charge you for extra trips.


Have you tried patching your pipe with the store-bought patching kits only to have that section of your plumbing continue leaking? Replacing the damaged pipe is a more permanent solution than patching. First, you must shut off the main water valve, and drain the water from the damaged section. Cut out the damaged section of the copper pipe, leaving about an inch of extra pipe on both sides of the damaged area. Remove corrosion from inside the pipes with a wire brush. Apply flux to the replacement pipe and the remaining pipe. Slide the piece of replacement pipe into place with couplings. Apply solder all around the joint, and use a propane torch to solder the replacement section into place.


Put strainers in the bottoms of your drains to stop any clogging agents from escaping down the drain. Clean your kitchen strainer often, particularly if you can see debris accumulating. The ones in your bathtub should also be cleaned frequently, as needed.


There are many ways to unclog a drain. You can try plunging it at first. If that doesn't work try using a chemical agent from the store. Before you go and spend money at the store though, if you have baking soda and some vinegar handy, you can mix those together and pour them in the drain and try to plunge that but if all else fails they have stronger remedies at your local hardware store.


To avoid sediment buildup, drain gallons of water from your water heater to flush any corrosion. This will help your heater to run more efficiently therefore saving you regular energy costs. Make sure to read your heater's instructions before attempting this, and do this periodically to make sure that your heater is running as well as it can.


Plumbing is very serious, and when there are issues, you have to be sure that you are taking care of them immediately. Using the information in this article, you should have the confidence to determine whether it is best to tackle a project independently or knowledgeably hire a professional.