Plumbing Snippets
Unclogging Drains:
A economical preventative measure that you can take to help prevent common drain problems is the monthly use of boiling water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in each drain. Be sure to follow directions if you use a chemical cleaner. CAUTION: Remember that chemical drain cleaners are dangerous. Precautions should be taken to prevent the chemicals from coming into contact with the skin. If a chemical does come in contact, wash it immediately with cold water. If your drain is clogged and the cleaner remains in the sink it is advised that you contact a plumber rather than trying to unclog the blockage yourself as you may be splashed with the chemicals.
How to unclog a sink using a plunger:
Remove the sink stopper or strainer. If your sink has a overflow opening, block it with a wet cloth.
Run enough water in the sink to cover the rubber force cup of the plunger. Fit the cup over the drain tilting to get rid of the trapped air.
Vigorously pump the plunger up and down 10 times to create a vacuum surge. On the last upstroke lift plunger abruptly from the water.
If the water is still standing or drains slowly try plunging again. (this may take several tries
How to unclog a toilet:
To avoid a clogged toilet make sure you don't flush anything down it that isn't supposed to go there like washcloths, paper towels, or hand wipes. These should be properly disposed of in trash cans or laundry baskets. It is also not a proper disposal for Hot wheels, Barbi doll heads, and Rovers favorite bone not to mention a bath towel that had paint on it. Here are a couple things you can try:
If it appears that the throne is clogged near the upper bend try following the same procedure outlined above for unclogging a sink.
For a deeper clog you will need a snake. You can either purchase one or rent one if need be. There are manual snakes and also powered ones for the bigger jobs or the person that just don't want to exert themselves. Either way the device feeds into the sewer line with a rotating tip that removes the clog, If you aren't sure how to use a snake look it up on the net or call a friend.
What to do if water leaks from the toilet:
A toilet sweats when the cold water inside reacts with the warm humid air on the outside calling condensation to form. Here is how to tell if your toilet is sweating or leaking..
Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank water.
Wait a hour then touch the bolt tips under the tank with a white tissue. If the tissue colors the tank is leaking, otherwise it is just sweat. If there is a leak turn off the water at the toilet and call a plumber.
If the water is at the base of the toilet you probably need to replace the wax seal. Call a plumber.
Toilet water runs constantly;
Remove the lid and watch what happens during and after the flush.
make sure the chain isn't kinked. If it is jiggle the lever till it straightens out.
If the tank fills but the water spills into the overflow tube lift the float arm. If the water stops the damage is in the float mechanism. Check for cracked or waterlogged float and replace as needed. Kits can be purchased at most stores that sell hardware.
If the float is ok bend the float arm down slightly until the bulb is at the right level and the water shuts off.
Pipe leaks or breaks
Locate the main water shutoff to the house . If the leak is severe or if there is a major line break shut off water and call a plumber. If you have a small pin sized leak you may be able to do a temporary fix by plugging the leak with a toothpick so it fills solidly then wrapping with duck tape REMEMBER this is only a temporary measure and you should call a plumber.
FROZEN PIPES:
First check pipes to make sure they are not broken. If they are call a plumber.
If the pipes are NOT broken they will need to be thawed. Follow this procedure.
To thaw plastic or metal pipes you can wrap them with rags and pour very warm water over the pipe.
Open the nearest Faucet and using a hair dryer or a heat lamp, work back from the faucet towards the frozen area.
During a cold winter snap be sure to leave the faucets dripping. It can keep the lines from freezing., and even if they do freeze it may keep them from bursting.
If you have metal pipes you may wrap them in heating cable and insulation.
You can also leave the interior cabinets open so the heat can penetrate to the pipes.
WATER HEATERS
To keep sediment form building up in the heater tank open the drain valve and drain water into a bucket until it runs clear. If you have hard water do this monthly, otherwise every 3-4 months.
As a energy saving measure set your heater thermostat to 120 degrees F.