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Effectively Choose A Reliable Plumber In Your Area

Plumbing does not have to be as complicated as most people make it out to be. There are some basic things that you need to know about plumbing systems, as well as, having the necessary tools to do your own repairs. This article may have a few useful tips and tricks that you can add to your tool belt.

Find a plumber that you can trust. Make sure to get referrals from friends and family so that you can prevent getting ripped off, which happens often. Also make sure not to pay the plumber before the work is completed. If you do that, there will not be an incentive to get the job completed in a timely manner.

Rigid copper is used for main water lines in many homes. You cannot bend rigid copper, so joints and tees must be soldered on. When soldering, always apply flux (also called soldering paste) to both surfaces. Flux retards oxidation when the copper is heated. Always use lead-free or nearly lead-free solder when sweating a copper joint.

If your pipes are prone to freezing, let the water trickle continuously in at least one faucet during weather that is below freezing. This will minimize the chances that the pipes will freeze and leave you without water. If water is continually running through the pipes and trickling out of a faucet, the pipes are less likely to freeze.

Have you tried patching your pipe with the store-bought patching kits only to have that section of your plumbing continue leaking? Replacing the damaged pipe is a more permanent solution than patching. First, you must shut off the main water valve, and drain the water from the damaged section. Cut out the damaged section of the copper pipe, leaving about an inch of extra pipe on both sides of the damaged area. Remove corrosion from inside the pipes with a wire brush. Apply flux to the replacement pipe and the remaining pipe. Slide the piece of replacement pipe into place with couplings. Apply solder all around the joint, and use a propane torch to solder the replacement section into place.

You can check your toilet for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring, Kool Aid or some coffee grounds to the water in the toilet's tank (not the water in the bowl). Check the water in the bowl after a half hour or so. If any of the coloring agent is visible in the water in the bowl, the tank is leaking, and you will have to have it repaired.

Pour equal parts baking soda followed by vinegar down your bathtub drain once a month. Cover the drain with a plug or rag as you wait for the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda to happen in your pipes. After giving the mixture time to work, flush it out by running boiling water through the drain. Doing this will clear your pipes of any soap scum or hair that has accumulated.

Avoid using harsh chemicals to clear clogged drains by purchasing a hand-held manual auger. A drain auger is a one-time purchase as opposed to purchasing a new bottle every time a drain is clogged. This is especially helpful for people who deal with clogged drains often, such as people with long hair or kids who like to drop things down the drain.

When having a consultation about a job with the plumber, take the opportunity to get to know them andtheir business better. Ask about their experience with the type of job that you are wanting to have done. Being comfortable with your contractor is important. They may be spending significant amounts of time in your house depending on the complexity of the job. You want to be convinced that they're up to the task.

Do not, under any circumstances, put lemons down your disposal. Although the lemon smell will give your disposal a great smell, its acid can corrode the metal parts in it. Instead, use products that are made specifically for this use. You can purchase these products at most hardware stores or wherever cleaning products are sold.

Do not place items in the toilets that do not belong there. For example, if you are a female, do not throw away sanitary pads or tampons in your toilet. This could cause severe damage to your toilet that could require a plumber, or even worse, a whole new toilet!

When leaving on vacation or leaving your vacation home, be sure to turn off the main water before you leave. If something happens while you are gone you can cause some serious damage from a flooded basement or a broken pipe in the wall that leaks for weeks until you return.

If you have a foul odor coming from your garbage disposal, this is due to food debris buildup. You need to put ice cubes, orange peels, and lemon peels into the disposal and run for about 30 seconds. Next, run some liquid dish soap through the disposal. This should take care of the problem if there is not a substantial blocking buildup.

Check for leaks behind the wall tile in your bathroom, especially any tile surrounding your bathtub, by gently pressing each tile and feeling for some give. If you find any mushy or soft spots, you will need to find the source of the leak and repair it to prevent further damage.

Sometimes in the case of minor and or major emergencies we all have to become Mr. Fix it ourselves. If you've got blockage in your drains the first step is to try a commercial de-clogger like Drano. Simply pour it down the drain, wait ten minutes, and presto, your drain should be clear.

Make sure never to store flammable objects near the water heater in your home. These heaters can rise to a high temperature, risking ignition of surrounding objects. Try to keep the area around your water heater clear of debris if you want to be in the safest position during the day.

Make sure you shut click here off your main system before leaving your house for a few weeks. The water will stay in the pipes, but this should prevent any further damages in case a leak starts while you are away. Check that your shut-off valve is working properly before you leave.

In conclusion, you now know how bad it is to put oil or grease down your drain. Even if you already knew that, you now know how important it is to avoid this and many other potential disastrous situations. Hopefully you can start using this advice today and have a well working plumbing system in your house.

Vancouver Sun

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“We had 60 calls over the Christmas weekend. It was crazy,” said Wade Roberts of Wade Roberts Plumbing.

“On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we had one technician on call and another one helped out the one on call. They did a little bit of work together to help keep things going, but it’s impossible to keep up with that kind of call volume. It’s wild.”

It’s a bit of a sacrifice to be on call and away from family during the holidays, said Roberts.

“But the reward is great in the reaction you get from clients when you show up and fix their problem on a night like Christmas Eve,” he said.

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“One of the technicians who was on all this Christmas was on call last Christmas as well and he wanted to be back out there because of the reaction and the thankfulness.

“One of the hot-water tanks he did last Christmas Eve, he put a big bow on it for the clients and wore a Santa hat and they were just thrilled. It can be rewarding for sure.”

To keep the plumber from your doorstep, Roberts strongly advises people to disconnect hoses from their outside taps and make sure the outside taps are shut off.

Hoses should also be disconnected from frost-free outdoor faucets, he said.

Isolation valves for backyard piping or irrigation should be shut off inside the house.

The B.C. plumbing code says a water main should be 18 inches underground in our climate, said Roberts, but in some cases in older homes, or if someone ran their own irrigation line underground, it may be shallower and could freeze.

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