When you have plumbing issues in your home, you need to fix them promptly and properly so that you do not have other problems later. At first, you may need to get help from several sources, but then use these tidbits to begin work.

Keep your plumbing flowing by maintaining a temperature above 32 degrees and wrapping up any exposed pipe works. The pipes may freeze if the surrounding temperature drops below freezing. If you are lucky, you will only experience a minor inconvenience until the pipes thaw. However, frozen pipes commonly break or crack pipes, leading to flooding and costly repairs.

If you discover a frozen water pipe, turn on a nearby faucet so that thawed ice has a place to go. This reduces pressure to keep the pipe from bursting, which could prevent a big mess in your home.

Pump your septic tank about once every five years, to make sure it is working well. Doing so avoids sediment build up, so that you don’t have any kind of septic system backup. Hiring a professional to pump out your septic tank is costly, but it is far preferable to the damages that could be incurred if the tank becomes backed-up or inoperative.

If you have a clogged toilet with the water level very low, and plunging it isn’t working, it’s possible to resolve this by pouring warm water from a bucket directly into the toilet bowl from about waist level. The water should go down, and you can pour another bucket of water if the toilet is still clogged.

Water that leaves behind pink or orange tinged stains has an excessive amount of iron. This can be remedied by using a water softener which can be purchased at a shop, or a company can pay a visit to your home and handle the situation for you.

Schedule one plumber to take care of all your issues in one single visit. You may want to have each minor problem attended to as the occur, but having multiple repairs done at once allows you to save up for the cost. It also saves you money because a lot of plumbers charge by the hour–they cannot charge for multiple hours every trip if they only make one trip out.

Keep the drains in your bathtub working properly by pouring a cup’s worth of baking soda and than a cup’s worth of vinegar directly down your drain every month. Plug the drain afterwards or cover it with a washcloth, as the two chemicals are going to react with each other. Wait for a little while, and then pour boiling water down the drain. This procedure will clear the hair and soap scum out of your pipes.

You need to use the information that has been provided so that you can make the best decision when it comes to alleviating your plumbing issues. It’s a good idea to double check that you are hiring the correct professionals or doing things yourself right if you want to hang on to your dollars. Treat this advice seriously.