Homeownership is an exciting thing, but it comes with lots of repair and maintenance responsibilities. Here are the essential plumbing tips for the first-time homeowner you need to know.
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Buying your first house is one of the highlights of life. It’s also a lot of responsibility. After all, there are a ton of details to keep up with. Plumbing is one of them.
When you’re a first-time homeowner, you’d better be prepared to deal with plumbing issues. Keep in mind that the plumbing in your house is something that’s easy to take for granted until there’s a problem.
This article takes a look at some useful plumbing tips every first-time homeowner should become familiar with. Keep reading to discover DIY plumbing information that will make your life a little bit easier.
It’s important to remember that your home is filled with pipes. Especially if you have multiple bedrooms in various areas of the house. Pipes transport water, and eventually, those pipes can break or develop leaks.
Keep in mind that a small leak can drip water for weeks or months before being discovered, costing hundreds of dollars on your water bill. That’s why it’s also a good idea to pay close attention to the usage amount listed on your bill rather than simply paying it and tossing the printout into the trash.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the plumbing in your house. Investigate the basement or crawlspace, and figure out which pipes lead where, and then inspect each pipe on a regular basis.
Discovering a leak as early as possible can save you a small fortune and prevent a small issue from becoming a major problem down the road.
The food disposal in the kitchen might be one of the handiest devices in your home, but use it with caution.
It’s easy to get in the habit of shoving just about anything down the drain and grinding it up. But disposals aren’t bulletproof. They can easily break or get jammed by large amounts of food, or items that don’t belong down there.
Trying to put anything other than soft food items into the disposal is a recipe for disaster. Good food disposal can last for years and make life easy, but only if you learn to treat it with respect.
Minor disasters are going to happen. That’s the reality of life. There’s no avoiding them, so you might as well be prepared when it happens.
One of the most important things you can do to keep a water leak or overflowing toilet from flooding the house is to shut off the water before the situation gets out of control. The key is to shut off the water valve immediately.
Water valves are easy to locate and fairly simple to operate.
The valve for the toilet is located near the wall beneath the water tank. Simply look behind the toilet, find the pipe that runs from the wall, and locate the metal valve. Now turn the valve until the water shuts off.
The same idea applies to the sink. There will be a pipe connected to the sink bowl under the counter. Again, locate the valve and turn it until the water stops. This will prevent the bathroom floor from turning into a lagoon.
Staying in the bathroom for a moment, let’s talk some more about toilets. They break, and they clog. And both situations can be frustrating.
For clogs, the key is to keep a plunger handy. Wait until the flush cycle finishes and turn off the water if necessary. Then use the plunger to free the clog. If this doesn’t work, consider pouring some hot water into the bowl to help loosen the obstruction.
If the hardware inside the tank is broken, you can either replace the parts yourself or hire a pro to make the repair. This is typically a simple DIY job, but it’s all a matter of how comfortable you feel about completing the task properly. There are plenty of helpful videos on YouTube that can walk you through the process.
Hopefully, you’ll never need to clean up a major water mess, but if you do, a vacuum designed to clean up water spills will come in handy. Just keep it in the garage so that it will be close in case of an emergency.
Any local hardware store will have plumber’s tape available for a few dollars. Keep it in a drawer in the kitchen or garage. This is the easiest way to seal a pipe connection to prevent water from seeping around the threads.
Do you own an older home?
If so, take a close look at your water heater. Make sure that it’s heating properly, and check that it’s set to maximize energy efficiency. Keep in mind that your water heater should never be set to heat at full capacity.
Many older homes have outdated water heaters that should be replaced with energy-efficient models to prevent leaks and to reduce energy bills.
When you notice a leak, don’t ignore it. And don’t put off repairing it. Remember, small leaks can lead to big problems. Plus, leaking pipes are typically easier to repair than you might imagine. This is also the best way to keep your water bill under control.
Let’s face it, there are some plumbing issues that you simply won’t be prepared to handle yourself. That’s why it’s a great idea to keep a phone number for a local plumber handy in case of emergencies.
After all, you never know when a crisis might strike, and you’ll be happy to have an honest plumbing expert a phone call away who can swoop in and save the day (or night!).
Owning a home is a lot of work. Fortunately, these plumbing tips can take some of the stress out of home maintenance.
Did you find this article helpful? Then be sure to check out the rest of our website for more home improvement tips!
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