Solid Advice When It Comes To Plumbing

You are about to enter the wonderful world of plumbing! Plumbing is comprised of many techniques, utilizing a variety of different tools. The fact is, plumbing is extremely complex which can make it a difficult home improvement task. Read the tips below for a few helpful pieces of information to guide you.

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.

Avoid frozen pipes this winter! Keep a small trickle of water dripping from faucets, and wrap your uninsulated pipes with foam or newspaper. If possible, keep the doors open between unheated and heated rooms. In an unheated area such as a garage or laundry room, keep a small heater next to the pipes. Remember to do this before the first cold snap hits.

As the weather begins to get cold, attend to all of your exposed pipes by adding insulation to them. Pay particular attention to pipes located in crawl spaces and the outside walls of your residence. Taking this step will help ensure that your pipes continue to function throughout the winter.

If you have a clogged drain, don't use cleaning chemicals to try to clear the clog. These harsh chemicals can corrode your metal pipes leading to leaks and broken pipes over time. Instead, stick to a plunger or make use of a plumbing snake to clear them.

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.

When it comes to plumbing, you have lots of techniques that can be used in order to improve your skills and your system. What works for one home may not work for another home, but the plumbing world has something for every house. This article probably helped you come up with strategies to manage your own plumbing system.

Source: Park Mechanical Plumbing & Sewer