What do you know about plumbing? Do you see your current knowledge as a foundation to build upon, or are you satisfied with what you already know? What plumbing skills do you already have? If you are not sure, look at these tips.

To keep your pipes from freezing in the winter, insulate all exterior pipes and be sure to keep your interior house temperature above freezing, even if the house is vacant. Pipes will freeze if they are exposed to temperatures below freezing. It will take a while for the pipes to thaw, leaving you without running water. However, they might burst, which will cause an enormous mess and repair bill.

Never use your bare hands to try fixing your garbage disposal. Even when the garbage disposal is turned off they can be dangerous. Hire a professional, or at least find your owner’s manual to look at a diagram of the disposal. Many owner’s manuals are available online, and may even contain interactive troubleshooters.

Check your floors for softness around toilets, so that you can ascertain if there is any floor damage. Stand over the toilet, then rock it back and forth to see if any weakening in the floor has occurred. You can save money if you notice the problem as soon as possible.

Don’t pour oils, grease or fat down the drain. These substances will create clogs after cooling in your drain. Especially if you operate a garbage disposal, the fat causes blades to be less efficient. To keep your drain running efficiently, dispose of fats and oils in other ways besides pouring them down the drain.

Use cold water when using your garbage disposal. The cold water keeps your blades sharp, which helps your disposal run smooth. If you use hot water, any grease that is in the disposal will turn to liquid, and sit inside of the drain, which can clog your pipes.

You can save a lot of money in your energy bills by putting in efficient shower heads. Showers and baths are responsible for the bulk of your hot water usage. Water-conserving shower heads are relatively affordable, but using them can save you a great deal of money within a single year.

If water that is not supposed to be there is in the dishwasher, the likely culprit is a kitchen sink hose not properly attached. The hose that runs from your kitchen sink to your dishwasher needs to be positioned uphill, and then bend back downhill to prevent the water from each device mixing.

Don’t skimp on quality when it’s time to replace that shower head. Avoid the temptation to purchase an inferior quality head for your shower. However, cheap parts don’t work as well and break down more quickly.

Do you feel you know more about plumbing now? Are you more informed about the plumbing system your house has? Do you feel you have become more adept at plumbing? Can you use components to your plumbing system now? Have you figured out how the equipment works? Feel confident in your new insights and apply the knowledge as needed.