Plumbing Problems That You Can Fix Yourself

It’s no secret that plumbers can be pricey. There’s the charge for the estimate, and the hourly fee, and the unforeseen costs that need to be paid for. Have you ever thought to yourself, “Plumbers must make a decent living; if only I knew how to do what they do, I could save a ton of money!”
Well, now you can. If you want to save yourself some money for the future, follow these tips and master the art of do-it-yourself plumbing.

Fixing the #1 Plumbing Problem Yourself

Has your toilet stopped working again? You’re not alone, and it’s the number one plumbing problem that professional plumbers get called for. Whether your toilet won’t stop running or is clogged up, 95% of these toilet related problems can easily be fixed.

First, check the cause of the problem by lifting up the tank and flushing the toilet. Look at the chain connecting the flapper to the handle (sometimes the chain can get tangled up). Also check to see if the floater floats and that the flapper closes by itself. If either doesn’t work on its own, they need to be replaced. They can easily be done by buying a new one at your local hardware store.

Your Faucet is Leaking…Again

Nothing is more infuriating than a dripping water faucet. Not only is it annoying, but over time it can waste a large amount of water. Apartments are notorious for leaky kitchen and bathroom faucets, but with any older faucet system you’re likely to run into this problem from time to time. Before calling a plumber, follow these easy-to-apply tips to do it yourself:

Get to know which type of faucet you’re dealing with

There are several types of faucets. Ball-type faucets have one main arm that turns left to right, depending on whether you want hot or cold water. A compression faucet (which is easier to diagnose, simply because you can tell which one is leaking) has two handles which, when turned, can tell you where the problem lies.

Take a look at the pipes

Now it’s time to take a look at the pipes that run underneath your dripping faucet. There will be a nob that you can turn to the right to completely turn off the water. If you’re inexperienced at this, just look for a handle, and when you twist it until you can’t anymore, and you should have stopped the water completely. Don’t forget to turn it back to the left after solving the problem so that the water will come back on!

Removing a faulty faucet

One by one, unscrew each cap until it pops off, and loosen the handle until the stem (what’s left of the handle) is revealed. What’s left will be what’s called the O-Ring, (best described as ‘thin’) and the seat washer (best described as ‘thick’) which is usually the cause of the leak. If the O-Ring is leaky, go to your hardware store and buy a new one. The same applies for the seat washer.

After screwing in the new O-Ring or seat washer, you shouldn’t have a leaky faucet. And as a result, you can sleep soundly at night again.
To read more about DIY plumbing repairs and a wide range of other home improvement information, visit The Plumb Store at www.theplumbstore.com