The purpose of this article is provide you some preventive maintenance tips to reduce your exposure to plumbing repair costs, and to provide you advice on how to reduce costs when you do need to call in the professionals.

If you are a do-it-yourself person, your plumbing experiences will go much smoother if you know your tools, and have the knowledge on how to use them. Use as many resources as you can, such as online resources or you public library, to find the right information to help you repair your plumbing issues. YouTube is a fantastic resource if you choose to do your own work.

Just a word of caution; do not just blindly rush into a project. Plan each project so that you don’t make costly mistakes.

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Here are some common preventive maintenance ideas:

1. Pipe Freeze Advice. If your water pipe freezes, switch on the nearest faucet tap to that pipe so that water can exit when the pipe thaws. This provides pressure relief, and might spare you the damage of a burst pipe. Avoid busted pipes!

2. Low Toilet Water Solution. If the water in your toilet is low along with the toilet being clogged, pour some extra water in the bowl to make the plunger effective again. Repeat this once your water goes back to a lower level.

3. Garbage Disposal Tip. Never put your hands in your garbage disposal to fix a problem. Even if the disposal is turned off, it can still be hazardous. Use the web to locate a diagram or pull out the user’s manual for your device. Plus, do not forget that you have a reset button on your garbage disposal.

4. Prevent Clogged Drains. Place a strainer on top of every drain to collect all debris that has the ability to clog your drains. Your kitchen sink strainer must be cleaned whenever it catches anything. Kitchen filters should be changed often, while bathtub filters can be changed as needed.Find out more about

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5. Well Water Softening Idea. If your home runs on well water and you notice any orange or pink stains in your fixtures or tub, this is because of iron in your water. A water softener can filter out unnecessary minerals, and leave you with clean, usable water.

6. Bathtub Drain Preventive Maintenance. A great maintenance routine for bathtub drains is to pour baking soda and vinegar into the drain opening once a month. Afterward, place a washcloth or towel over the top of the drain, to keep the chemical reactions contained. Flush it with boiling water after a few minutes. By following this tip, you should be able to clear all the soap scum, hair, and other grime out of your pipes. It’s not a matter if your drains will get clogged, it’s a matter of when. This will reduce you clogs.

7. Garbage Disposal Maintenance. If you run your garbage disposal after working in the kitchen, use a large quantity of cold water. Blades will stay sharper with cold water, making disposal quicker. If you use hot water instead of cold, this will turn any fat into liquid and cause the fat to clog your pipes when it later cools and solidifies. Consider bacon grease or any fried food grease a threat.

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If you know you need the help of a professional plumber, its more advantageous to you to have them take care of as many problems as you can afford in one visit.

These preventive maintenance tips will help you reduce your plumbing costs, but there will be a time that you need to call in the professionals. Here are some great tips to help you reduce your expenses when you do.

Schedule your plumbing work simultaneously. In other words, if you know you need the help of a professional plumber, its more advantageous to you to have them take care of as many problems as you can afford in one visit. Our natural inclination is to handle problems as they arise.

That’s not smart shopping. Think about it. You know that if you drive 5 miles everyday to buy groceries, you are wasting money and time. So, you create a shopping list and get it all done in one visit to your grocery store.

This is smart shopping. You save money by getting things done in one trip. This is a practice that you’re used to. So, all you need to do is apply this same shopping principle to your home plumbing needs.

Even if you only have one noticeable problem, you can still get a plumber to inspect other areas. You will also save because plumbers usually charge hourly rates, so hourly charges are reduced if there is only one trip made.

Keep in mind that a plumbing company has expenses. Time, distance and fuel all factor into their billing. If you can save your plumbing contractor money, this savings is passed back to you. Knocking out several problems also saves you time and other expensed you might not always consider.

Do you have lost hours from work? Do you have additional fuel expenses driving to work, then driving home to meet your plumber, then driving back to work? Are you missing critical appointments that might generate income? A smart shopper will consider all these issues.

As much of a bother as plumbing issues can be, there are many methods to use to reduce costs. You just need do some simple preventive maintenance and know when to call in some professional help. And, when you do hire the pros, use your plumbing contractor wisely.

Keep these tips handy to save time, money and effort. They will help you reduce your plumbing costs.

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