Common Plumbing Issues
The average home will have plumbing issues that may arise anywhere in the house. Your bathrooms and kitchens are the most likely places to have some kind of issue because they are used on a daily basis. It is important to try to keep them clean and not let any heavy liquids or bulky items fall into those pipes. Before taking time out of a plumber’s busy schedule and your own, check to see if any of these are your problems and try these at home quick fixes.
Water pressure:
If your water pressure is low, your faucet may be dirty. Sometimes, grime or other dirt particles may accumulate at the end of your faucet, blocking the water from falling out of it freely. When the water is off, if it is possible, check the faucet. If its curvature or position does not allow for that, then take some cotton or q tips with alcohol on them and wipe the end of the faucet. The alcohol will make the grime or dirt latch onto it, removing it from your faucet. If you only use water on the cotton or q tip, it won’t be sufficient enough to actually remove the grime, it may just move some of the grime to the other side of the faucet. Use paper towels or toilet tissue as a last resort, its material breaks easier and you will end up with pieces of it in your sink rather than getting any cleaning results.
Draining issue:
The draining issue is most common in a bathroom drain. Hair, male or female, fall into the drain and then accumulate against the walls of the pipe or make balls of bigger hair, then clogging the pipes and causing water to drain at a slow rate. Try using a hanger to stick into the drain, is possible, and take the hair out. This involves some elbow work but it’s easy to fix will save some money and save a plumber’s time when he or she could be going to a hard a job. Harsh chemicals aren’t recommended, they could make the problem worse if it’s not hair and is very bad for the environment. If the hanger trick doesn’t work, call a plumber because you could have a bigger issue in your pipes.
Garbage Disposal Issues:
This could be as simple as a silverware or too much food being stuck in the pipes. Turn off the breaker to your kitchen, to ensure the disposal will not turn on, then stick your hand in with a glove to be safe (disposal knives can be rough) and without getting your hand stuck, search for any items that should not be in there. When that does not work, call your plumber because the disposal’s issue may be a harder fix.
