”;
Stopped up sinks are a pain to deal with, but there are worse things.
Consider a broken pipe, overflowing toilet or even a washing machine
that wont drain. These are all issues that can be avoided if you take
the time to do a little routine maintenance around the house. The best
part is for many of these preventative measures you dont even have to
call in a professional which will save you lots of money. By heading off
the plumbing problems before they happen, you can save yourself a lot
of worry, frustration and money.
Plumbing problems dont have to cost you an arm and a leg. One of the
most common problems is a clogged sink. First order to keep your pipes
clear, watch what you put down the sink. Dont think that you can flush
anything out with enough water. If you hair in the trap pick it up and
throw it in the trash. Dont put food down the sink unless you are using
a garbage disposal, and make sure the disposal is on with water running
while you are dumping food. Always, always, always avoid dumping grease
down the sink. Use a grease trap to pour hot grease into and allow the
grease to cool before disposing of in the garbage.
Another common plumbing issue is broken pipes. While some pipes will
wear out over time and may rupture from age at the joints this is not
the issue that can be resolved. Often broken pipes happen during the
winter. Freezing temperature causes water to solidify in the pipes. This
causes the pipes to break. There are some simple ways to avoid this,
first is keep the cabinet doors open a little ways. This will allow the
warm air from the house access to the pipes. Next keep water flowing
through the pipes especially during the night. It doesnt have to be a
roaring flood of water, even just a small stream or steady drip will
help keeping water from freezing. Moving water is harder to freeze than
standing water. For outside pipes, wrap them in insulation; check your
local hardware store. For faucets use covers which are also available at
your local hardware store.
Plumbing problems such as over flowing toilets and washers are often
caused by something caught in the drain line. Parents of small children
might want to invest in a toilet lock to keep foreign objects from being
tossed in. As for washing machines, routinely verify the drain hose is
free from foreign objects.
A time will come when you will need to call in a plumbing professional.
When that happens take the time to look for someone who is reputable.
While the person you might hire could be the first name you saw, dont
just grab one out of the phone list. Its best to have the number of a
reliable, reputable plumber on hand. This means doing your research on a
reliable service when you dont need one so that you wont be
scrambling when you do.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When it comes to plumbing, Chicago
residents know to do their homework and pick a contractor that knows
their stuff. Learn more here: http://www.baethkeplumbing.com.