Pipe Problems? 4 DIY Plumbing Tips
One of the worst noises that you can hear while walking through your home is water dripping or a rush of water underneath the home. These sounds often mean that plumbing may have a leak of some degree whether it’s minimal or severe.
Leaking water can cause structural damage to your home as well as ruin carpeting and cause mold, so a leak is something you need to take care of as soon as possible.
If you’re hesitant to spend the money on a professional, you can attempt to tackle the problem on your own first. Here are a few tips to help you make the attempt.
Replace Parts on Your Own
If the toilet is leaking or there’s a clog in a drain, you can probably remove parts yourself and replace or fix them with little effort. There isn’t a lot that makes up these plumbing systems, and most repairs can be searched online so that you have a guide as to how to get the work done.
An example would be the toilet. Lots of issues with a toilet happen in the tank which is very easy to access and work with. You can get a kit at most hardware stores that contains a new flapper and the other parts that you need with instructions on how to replace the essential parts so that the toilet works properly once again.
A clogged drain is also fairly simple since it can often be fixed by digging out the obstruction with a tool like the drain weasel. If your problem is a cracked pipe somewhere though, it will be a lot more difficult to handle. More on this later.
Fewer Chemicals
Try not to use a lot of chemicals if there is a clogged drain in the home. If the clog is in the kitchen drain, it’s usually because of grease or food that has been flushed down the sink.
Clogs in the shower are usually because of hair while bathroom sinks often clog with smaller hairs and toothpaste or other products that are washed down the drain. You can use a metal coat hanger that is unfolded into a straight line to plunge the sinks or to reach hair that is clogging a drain.
There are also plumbing snakes that you can get that will remove debris from the drains as well.
A Heat Source
If there are parts of the drain that are hard to get loose, then use a heat source to loosen them. If they are too cold, especially in the winter months when pipes tend to freeze, then a heat source can gently warm the pipes to make it easier to get the junctions loose.
Applying heat will also help you loosen caulking without the risk of damaging the pipe itself. This makes it a much better alternative than simply trying to wrench the junction free by main force.
Call for Help
If you’re fairly sure that the problem is a cracked or leaky pipe somewhere “deep” in your plumbing system then it’s usually best to go ahead and call a plumber like Quality Plumbing or someone similar.
You don’t want to end up breaking the pipes or causing more damage as you attempt to make the repair on your own, and some of the areas that could be leaking might require breaking through a wall to get through.
Calling for back-up is also a good idea once you’ve tried everything that you can think of to get a leak controlled or to get the drains to flow. Once you’ve spent the money for a professional, be sure to ask them for any tips they can provide to help you prevent similar issues in the future.
The plumbing system of your home is important because you need water to flush the toilet, to take a shower and to wash dishes. Some issues can be repaired in a short time with little effort. However, if you feel that you’re over your head in repairs, then it’s likely best to call in an expert.
Category: Home Repair
