4 Plumbing Hacks to Save You Time and Money

What you will need:

• Food coloring

Leaks in the toilet bowl can run up your water bill, and aren’t always obvious. If you suspect your toilet suffers from a slow leak, open up the tank and add a few drops of food coloring. Come back half an hour later; if the food coloring is in the bowl, you have a leak.

What you will need:

• Vinegar
• Sandwich bag
• Elastic band

Low water pressure can be caused by a number of things, but many times it is due to a dirty shower head. To fix this problem, fill a sandwich bag with vinegar and place it around your shower head. Secure with an elastic band. Let the vinegar eat away at the buildup of debris overnight and you will have a sparkling clean shower head in the morning.

What you will need:

• Boiling water
• Baking soda
• Vinegar

Clogged drain? Don’t use commercial drain cleaners, which rely on harmful chemicals and can damage your plumbing system. Instead, flush your drain with boiling hot water, followed by ½ cup of baking soda. Five minutes later, pour in a cup of vinegar. Your drain should fizz up; this means it is working. Allow the chemicals to react for a few minutes, then flush with more water.

What you will need:

• Adjustable wrench

A little bit of water can cause a lot of problems. When a pipe bursts, several gallons of water can quickly be dumped into your home. The best way to minimize this damage is by cutting off your water supply as quickly as possible. To do this, simply locate your main supply valve (usually found in the basement or outside wall) and turn it. This can be done by hand, or a wrench may be required. Once the water supply is shut off, you can focus on cleaning up the water and repairing the pipe.

When simple hacks aren’t enough, professional assistance may be required. Residents of Middle Georgia can count on the experts at Steady Flo Plumbing for all of their home plumbing needs. Contact us online to schedule a service, or call (478) 960-8571.