6 Excellent Home Plumbing Tips for a Great Peace of Mind
No home can live in comfort if there is some plumbing problem in it. And a specialty of plumbing problems is that they keep occurring. This makes it essential for any homeowner to know about small plumbing repair tips and tricks so that s/he can check whether the problem can be corrected right away before calling in a professional plumbing service. Here are a few.
1. Insulate Pipes
If you need to jiggle the hose as you take out sprayer of your kitchen sink, it’s possible that the hose is catching on the shut off valves. Before calling in a professional like Denver plumbing company, try this trick. Slide ½-inch foam pipe insulation over the pipes as well as shutoff handles for smooth operation. Apply a stick tape to keep it in place. The insulation is easily available at home centers at an affordable price.
2. Glue-backed Felt for Pipes
Running hot water can make copper pipes enlarge and rub against joists and pipe hangers. This can be prevented with adhesive-backed felt. Get some of it from a hardware store and cut into strips. Remove every hanger and wrap the pipe before reattaching the hanger.
3. Expanding Foam for Deadening Sounds
Two stainless steel sinks can make annoying sounds while vibrating. Fill the space between them with expanding foam and it will reduce the gong effect. You can do it when sinks are fitted, but it’s much easier and neater if done before installation. Whatever way you do it, let the foam stiffen and then trim the excess away using a knife.
4. Vacuum for Removing Hard Objects
If any hard object like a comb or toothbrush drops in a drain or toilet, a plunger may not take it out but only push it even deeper. Instead suck out the object with a vacuum.
5. Find Hidden Pipes with a Strong Magnet
If you want to locate a pipe under the floor, take an electrical fish tape and attach a rare earth magnet to it. Feed this into drain lines via the cleanout plug. You can locate the magnet (along with the pipe) hidden below the floor with an ordinary compass which will shake vigorously upon finding a strong magnet.
6. Bucketful of Water to Flush Toilet
Your neighbor’s bathroom need not be run during your plumbing project. Prior to turning off water supply, keep 2-gallon buckets ready filled with water. Dump the water into the bowl to flush the toilet. Every bucket will give you one flush.
Use these easy tips to keep your plumbing working well and get great peace of mind.
