Water is the source of life, but it is sometimes a nemesis to a homeowner with plumbing problems. Fewer issues, minus a natural disaster, may cause so much damage to a home like a serious plumbing issue. Fortunately, homeowners can take a lot of steps to prevent plumbing nightmares and to minimize the effects when they occur.

It’s easy to fix noisy pipes which squeak or sound like hammering. You must anchor all exposed pipes. For pipes that are situated inside walls, or the floor or ceiling, you should hire a professional.

You don’t want to end up with frozen pipes, so take preventive action, such as wrapping outside pipes with insulation, and keeping indoor temperatures above freezing at all times. Pipes will freeze if they are exposed to temperatures below freezing. At best, it can take time for them to thaw and for you to be able to have running water. However, frozen pipes often burst, causing damage to your home and a hefty repair bill.

Pass on seemingly convenient cleaning products like bleach tablets and blue toilet tabs. These tablets have chemicals that can damage rubber parts that are essential to the proper functioning of your toilet.

If a plunger is ineffective, you might be able to do the trick with a bucket of warm water. Once the water is lower, do this again.

Put the strainer on top of drains to catch any food that would go down and cause a clog. The strainer used in the kitchen will need to be cleaned frequently. The ones in your bathtub should also be cleaned frequently, as needed.

If your home has well water and you start seeing orange or pink stains, that is from iron in your water supply. Luckily, you can quickly fix this by adding some water softener to your supply. You can pick up this product at a lot of stores, or have it shipped out to you.

To make sure your garbage disposal last a long time, clean it regularly. If your garbage disposal begins to emit a bad smell, run some dish detergent and citrus rinds through the cycle to make it smell fresher.

Frozen pipes can cause some very expensive plumbing repair jobs. Fortunately, frozen pipes are easy to prevent. First, ensure that all outside pipes have sufficient insulation. When it is cold outside make sure you bring in your hoses or at least drain them. Be proactive about this and save on future repair bills.

Don’t rely on drain cleaners too much. Drain cleaners are composed of extremely corrosive chemicals and can actually damage pipes with frequent use. If you discover that you have a blocked drain, the best course of action is to hire a professional to call by and examine it for you.

Preparation and plumbing education are what is needed to avoid plumbing mishaps. The homeowner who learns a little bit about plumbing is more likely to make wise decisions and avoid dangerous plumbing situations. It goes without saying that someone who has done research and is prepared before a problem arises will be better capable of fixing things faster.