Essential Factors That Homeowners Must Know About A Plumber And Their Service | Denton, TX
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Plumbing problems at home and institutions like schools, healthcare facilities and office buildings can be devastating. This is because a faulty plumbing system can lead to the growth of mold on wet surfaces, which emit unpleasant smell into rooms and pose a health hazard to the occupants.
If you want to minimize these problems, all you have to do is master and practice key preventative maintenance tips regularly. This can help detect problems as soon as they crop up and deal with them before they turn into disasters. Many homeowners lack the necessary skills to tackle these problems and must hire a plumber for the job. It is not a must that you learn everything about plumbing, but comprehending the basics can save you big time.
Here are some of the significant things that all homeowners should know about plumbing.
Plumbing Appliances
The toilets and sinks in your house have shut-off valves, which help cut off the water supply. You must learn how to turn them off. This can come in handy in the case of a toilet burst at a time when you cannot access the services of a plumber immediately. You should know the location of your main shut-off valve and learn how to operate it to prevent severe damages if a pipe bursts.
How to Replace Sink Aerators
The work of sink aerators is to soften, filter and save water that could otherwise be wasted. With time, these aerators become filthy and wear out. Replacing an aerator is a simple task that you can do on your own if you have the right plumbing tools. This can help you save the money that you could have paid a professional.
Unclogging a Blocked Sink
A slowly draining sink signals the presence of an obstacle causing blockage inside your drainage system. There are different methods used to clear drains, like the use of traditional drain cleaners and the use of a vinegar and baking soda solution.
Sink drain clogging occurs at the p-trap located below the sink. You can unscrew both sides of the p-trap and remove it, then clean all the dirt and debris in it. If you’re unsure how to go about this process, you should contact a professional plumber to avoid creating a bigger problem.
Avoid Flushing Down Indecomposable Material
Your toilet cannot function like a trash can. Flushing anything that is not toilet paper can cause clogging in the toilet drain, resulting in toilet back up. When you detect this problem, use a plunger to suck out the objects, causing clogging. If a plunger fails, contact your plumber to come with the plumber’s snake.
Protect Your Pipes From Extremely Low Temperatures
If you live in areas that experience winter, it’s important that you have your pipes protected from the extremely cold weather. This is to prevent the water from freezing and bursting your pipes. Pipe protection can be achieved through insulation or maintaining your house’s temperature at about 60 degrees when you’re away. Below are tips to help prevent your pipes from freezing:
- Leave your faucets on a slow drip to keep the water flowing
- Use pipe sleeves or heat tape to insulate all your exposed pipes
- Open the doors of your kitchen and bathroom cabinets to allow warm air circulation around and in the pipes
How to Fix Pipe Leaks
All homeowners should know how to spot the position of a leak and fix it. If pipe leaks are left unrepaired for long, they can lead to considerable damages to your house. They can also lead to crazy utility bills. Before contacting your plumber, turn off the main water valve and try the following temporary fixes.
- Using a pipe clamp, create a seal on the leaking point
- Use pipe repair kit with tape
- Use epoxy putty to seal the leak
How to Fix a Dripping Faucet
With the right plumbing kit, there is no need to call a plumber to repair a dripping faucet when you can do it yourself. Faucets start to drip when the rubber washer used to stop the water wears out. Therefore, you have to replace the washer to stop the dripping.
Know How to Adjust Water Pressure
Many homeowners in Denton, TX, use municipal water, with a pressure regulator between the main water supply and their homes. You don’t need a plumbing service to regulate the water pressure for you: all you have to do is find the regulator and adjust it. Pressure regulators are positioned near the water main or near the water cutoff valve around your home.
Know the Signs of a Failing Water Heater
When water heaters start to fail, they produce weird noises, rusty water or they start leaking. When you detect any of this, it’s time to go for a new water heater.
Location of Sewage System Clean-Out Plugs
It doesn’t matter whether you’re connected to a private septic tank or a public sewer, you must know where the clean-out plugs are located. It would help if you cleared these plugs on routine to avoid drain clogs and toilet backups.
How to Find Hidden Water Leaks
A hidden water leak is a problem experienced by many residents of Denton, TX. However, you should not be worried because there are signs that tell you there is a leak at a particular point in your pipe network. To discover the leaks, check for mold, mildew, stains on the ceilings and walls, unpleasant smells and damaged paints.
How to Replace a Toilet Flapper Valve
If water is flowing from the toilet tank to the basin without flushing, then your toilet is running.
Toilets run when the flapper valve is chipped, damaged or worn out. A flapper valve is a rubber that sits on the vertical column in the basin. To repair this problem, you don’t need a plumber. Turn off the water supply to the toilet and open the tank to replace the flapper.
However, if dealing with toilet repairs or other plumbing issues doesn’t sound appealing to you, contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas for a quick fix. Our expert plumbers will be more than happy to take the burden off your shoulders and give you reliable services right the first time.
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