Simple Ideas To Help You Understand Plumbing
Good plumbing maintenance is relatively easy, but failing to keep up with it can mean costly repairs. Here are some good ways you can take care of your plumbing, either yourself or with the help of a licensed professional. Take care of your house now and it will beneift you in the future.
When choosing a plumber make sure he is insured and licensed. This is very important. If there is a plumbing emergency, you want to make sure the plumber has met the training requirements of the state. If he is insured, this covers any accidental damage done while fixing your plumbing.
You should always put plenty of cold water through your garbage disposal while it is running. The blades will stay sharper, and the overall disposal process will run smoother. If you use hot water, any grease in the disposal will liquefy, causing it to accumulate further down the drain, which could cause clogs.
Watch how your toilets are flushing. If you have to jiggle the handle or if it takes too long, you might have to repair some toilet parts. Replacing these parts early may help you to save on your water bills and will save you from more expensive repairs at a later date.
Do not overload your garbage disposal. If you need to dispose of large items, cut them up into smaller pieces. Also, do not put too much in at a time, put one or two items in and wait a few seconds to dispose of the rest. Overloading your disposal can cause the engine to overheat.
Check overflow holes to make sure there's no clog. If your sink starts to overflow, the water will run into the overflow holes, this might not be a huge issue, unless they are clogged. Clear overflow holes when doing periodic checks for problems and plumbing issues that should be addressed.
You should clean your septic tank every five years! This will prevent sediment from piling up in your tank, which could cause it to overflow into your home and yard, or even cause the entire septic system to fail. If the cost of pumping your septic tank seems a bit steep, remember that the cost of cleanup and repair of a failed septic system will be much higher.
Frozen pipes can lead to many problems, most of them expensive to fix. So you want to avoid that at all costs. To avoid frozen pipes, make sure the temperature in your home never drops below 55 degrees. Look for any air leaks around your pipes and make sure they're sealed up.
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, check here such as people with long hair or kids who like to drop things down the drain.
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.
Beware of black water in your toilet tank. Chances are, the color is caused from too much magnesium or iron in your water. Although this is usually harmless, it can be annoying for some people. If it is iron or magnesium in your water, the only way to fix it is by filtering the water.
To check for toilet leaks, especially if it seems like your toilet is chronically running, use a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If water is leaking into the bowl, you will see color in about a half hour. Replacing tank parts can repair leaks and greatly save on water consumption.
When plunging a drain to attempt to remove a blockage, first make sure that the drain is completely covered in water. This helps to form a seal. Then, plunge at least fifteen to twenty times before stopping. Repeat the process two to three times. If this doesn't work, try a chemical drain cleaner.
As mentioned above, most periodic plumbing maintenance is simple and straightforward. Most repairs resulting from serious damage to your plumbing are not. Now that you know how to deal with the plubming issues in your home, you should be more prepared to prevent or mitigate the more serious problems that can result.
Plumber wins workers' rights battle against Pimlico Plumbers
Analysis by Simon Gompertz, BBC personal finance correspondent
Could the Pimlico Plumbers ruling be a watershed moment, a decisive shift in favour of people seeking employment rights?
It is a powerful precedent and the fact that the judgment comes from the Supreme Court means that it will weigh heavily when similar cases come to be heard.
However other cases, like those involving Uber and Deliveroo are unlikely to be stopped in their tracks.
Each firm has a different way of operating, different contracts and makes different demands on people working.
Some allow you to get someone else to do the job instead, for instance, while others do not.
That's one of the key tests of employment status.
So there's a bit more clarity now, but expect the court challenges from gig workers to keep coming.