Plumbing is an essential yet tricky part of our homes. Here are some commonly asked questions with answers.
Plumbing is an essential yet tricky part of our homes. Here are a few commonly asked questions with answers.
Plumbing is a crucial component of every house. The bathroom,
kitchen, utility room and landscaping regions of the yard are all hooked up to and depend on functional plumbing. When it stops working, havoc can occur in the household. A lot of pricey damage can occur if pipes burst or fixtures have been installed incorrectly. Here are some common questions answered, room by room:
Bathroom questions:
- How do you unclog a toilet? First thing to think about is how to keep this problem from occurring. The only things that should be flushed are small amounts of toilet paper and bodily waste. Paper towels, Q-tips, feminine hygiene products, baby wipes or even diapers have been thoughtlessly tossed into the toilet and flushed. What results is a stopped up problem. Unclogging can be done by using a plunger to force the item through with vacuum pressure or a metal snaking tool to push the clog through. If these tricks don’t work, it may be time to call in the professionals.
- Why do some bathroom sinks have separate hot and cold faucets? These are old fashioned sinks from a time when people would fill up the basin with both hot and cold in order to wash their faces.
- My shower nozzle has slowed down the flow: Sometimes hard water is the culprit and the shower head should be removed and soaked in vinegar in order to allow full force flow of water.
Kitchen:
- My garbage disposal stops constantly; does this mean I need a new one? It could be that the food products being put into it are not appropriate. No meat bones or veggie peels should be stuffed into the disposal. The bones are too hard and the potato, carrot or apple peels are just the right size slivers to slip into the machinery and stop it. Peel veggies into the garbage can.
Utility Room:
- Utility Room Sink Woes: Have you been potting plants in this sink or deboning the fish you caught? Bad idea. Dirt turns to mud which isn’t meant to travel through the pipes. Fish parts aren’t appropriate items to stuff down a drain, either.
- Washer/Dryer: The washing machine should not be overloaded or it may get off balanced and begin to leak. It should have an evenly distributed load, too, rather than stuffing one large rug into it that will weight to one side and cause a stall.
- Hot water heater: Check yours for rust or signs of wear. Put a drain pan beneath it if it looks like it might blow any day. A leaky hot water heater can ruin floors and more.
Outside in the yard:
- Put away garden hoses in winter: In the freezing temps of winter, garden hoses can damage the outdoor faucets. Unhook them and put away in the garage or shed. A frozen hose will damage the outside faucets and cause trouble. The hoses won’t be functional next spring if left out in the cold.
- Sprinkler systems: Regular maintenance will keep sprinkler heads and pipes functioning. A broken one can mean leaks and waste of H2O.
Plumbing in all areas of our home can be maintained with a bit of forethought. Prevention is always the best medicine.
