Owning a home is a huge responsibility for a person of any age. It goes beyond just paying your bills and maintaining your yard. You also need to know how to fix basic issues that may arise in your home.
Being able to fix small plumbing problems that might happen over your time in your home is an important part of being a homeowner. For major issues it’s better to get a Plumbing expert. The smaller projects you can get these done yourself this is how you save money and feel more confident in your abilities. It is also how you take control of a home that might feel overwhelming at first.
Knowing a few basic maintenance tips for your own home plumbing is a great way to save money and take ownership of where you live. It builds confidence and skills that you will need through your life. Here are a few basic plumbing tips every homeowner should know.
1. Check Your Hot Water Tank
Knowing how your hot water tank works and ways to make it work more efficiently is very important. Your hot water tank could be wasting money and energy without you being aware of it. Doing very basic water tank maintenance can save you time and money.
The first step is making sure your water tank is at the right temperature. If your water tank is too hot it could be wasting your money heating more water than you will use and heating it up much hotter than you need. You should be able to turn your hot water tank down to one hundred and fifteen degrees without having to worry about running out of hot water.
You should also make sure your tank is insulated. This makes sure the heat is not escaping and wasting the money you spend on heating it and the energy being pumped into making it work. Having an uninsulated water tank wasted energy and money that you could be using for something else.
2. Keep Water Flowing
Often homeowners find that their water pressure diminishes over time. This is due to mineral deposits that clog your faucets over time. The more water you use the more build up your faucets will accumulate.
A great way to reverse the effects of this is by removing your shower head and faucet and then soaking them in vinegar for a day. This dissolves the build-up and restores your water pressure. It is also a great natural way to restore your water pressure.
It is important to remember that this will only work for a small amount of time on your shower head. Showerheads are only meant to last about ten years as their holes widen and they leak over time. Replacing an old showerhead can reduce your water usage by fifty percent.
3. Always Own Plungers
They may seem gross, but plungers are very useful. You should have at least one toilet plunger and a sink plunger under your sink. Having these two plungers will keep you from disaster and help solve many problems.
A toilet plunger is the best way to quickly solve a clogged toilet. It may not always work completely but it will at least loosen the clog enough to prevent overflow. This can be invaluable when you have a toilet emergency and no time or money for a plumber.
The same can be said for a clogged sink. Especially in kitchen sinks, a lot of things go down the drain. This can easily lead to a clog that will backup your whole home if you do not quickly get a plunger to solve the problem.
4. Keep an Eye on Your Water Bill
Your water bill is an excellent way to keep an eye out for potential plumbing problems. If your bill suddenly spikes in price, you might have a leak. A leaking sink or toilet can waste hundreds of dollars a day.
If you are noticing that your water bill is more than usual or that it suggests you are using a lot of water at night, check for a leak. Leaks are often around the bottom of baths, toilets, and sinks. Check for water at the base of your plumbing and around your pipes.
Once you find the leak apply some waterproof tape to the spot. This is a temporary fix to keep the problem from growing while you evaluate your options. It is likely you will need to call a real plumber to fix the leak and save you money in the long run.
5. Leaking Sink
A leaky sink is one of the most common plumbing problems. Luckily, they are often not a big deal to fix by yourself. Almost every leaking sink can be fixed by a little work and a visit to the hardware store.
It is likely the aerator, or you need to replace a washer, o ring, or rubber seal. All of these can be found at your local hardware store. Once you discover where the leak is in your sink all you need to do is quickly replace that piece.
All of these are very easy to replace. All you have to do is take out the old one, find the correct size, and put the new piece exactly where you found the old one. Tutorials for this can be found all over the internet if you need more instruction, but fixing a leaking sink is usually very simple.
To Conclude
There are many fun and exciting parts to owning your own home. Plumbing problems are rarely one of them. Knowing how to handle simple plumbing issues and having confidence in your knowledge makes this a bit less stressful.
Conserving energy, fixing small leaks, and unclogging drains and faucets are all very simple plumbing jobs that you can often do yourself. They require little skill and very few tools to help you maintain your plumbing.
If you encounter something more difficult or one of these tricks does not work it is important you hire a plumber. Messing with pipes and valves could mess up plumbing further if you are not a professional. These are a few of the basic plumbing tricks every homeowner should know.