Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

In dealing with plumbing issues, be mindful that a number of complications can arise. While some things require little knowledge or effort to repair, others may seem impossible. It does not matter what your circumstances are, it remains important that you know some plumbing basics so you can deal with issues as they arise.

Water hammer problems, pipe noise due to water hitting the back of the pipe, can be easily repaired. Those pipes will need to be anchored if they are exposed. Call a plumber to help with pipes that require you to cut a hole in a wall, ceiling or floor.

Don't use any colored tablets that claim to be cleaners in your toilet. These products will reduce the smell, but they will also cause problems with the rubber gaskets. Over time, the damage will accumulate and could eventually stop the toilet from functioning at all.

Don't pour oils, grease or fat down the drain. They might be in liquid form, but after they cool off, they will solidify and make a clog in your drain pipe. This can make your garbage disposal run slower. Dispose of your oils in a coffee can or other suitable container instead of your sink.

The areas of floor around your toilets are particularly susceptible to water damage; here's how you can check them. Stand over the toilet, then rock it back and forth to see if any weakening in the floor has occurred. By noticing a problem early on, you can save yourself a bunch of money if you were to leave it alone.

Orange or pink discoloration on your bathroom fixtures is a solid indication that your water contains too much iron. A water softener can cure this problem and can be installed by you, or you may opt to have a professional to come and install it for you.

To increase the useful life of your garbage disposal, clean it out regularly. Prevent unsavory disposal odors through regular use of citrus peel, cherry pits and dish detergent.

The best way to avoid plumbing bills is to prevent problems before they happen. Clogs are the most commonly reported problems when it comes to plumbing issues. Clogs in drains can be caused by hair, among other things. Putting a strainer on your drain can solve this problem. It is easier to take hair off a screen than to clear it from a pipe.

If you have any water in your dishwasher that should not be there, check the connection on your kitchen sink. The hose going from the dishwasher to the sink needs to angle uphill before going back downhill to prevent water from both being mixed.

If you don't want to spend a lot on repairing plumbing problems, learn to prevent problems before they occur. One of the major repairs is clogs. Drains can be clogged by hair. There are ways around this; you can use a drain cover or screen which is actually designed in order to keep your pipes and drain free of hair. Taking the hair off of the screen and disposing of it is cheaper and easier than removing it from the pipes.

It's important to fix plumbing problems right away. You just have to research this, and maybe ask a plumber for advice on how to repair it correctly. Put the tips you have learned to use and solve your plumbing problems with ease.