Plumbing Guides for Common Household Repairs
Not all plumbing problems are so advanced that you will need to find a local plumbing service to handle for you. Many can instead be covered by a homeowner who is willing to put a real effort into solving their existing plumbing problems. Here are some of the ways that a homeowner can take the proverbial bull by the horns and help to eliminate plumbing problems early on.
Have Some Basic Plumbing Tools on Hand
If you are going to handle some basic household repairs on your own, then you will need some basic plumbing supplies to do so. Some basic plumbing supplies that you should have on hand include a bathroom toilet plunger, a spare plunger for sinks that you don’t want to use your bathroom plunger in, a snake or auger for tougher clogs, and filters to screen the plumbing system.
Understanding Basic Plumbing Techniques
A homeowner does not need to be a professional plumber but they do need to know some basic plumber techniques to handle simple clogs and plumbing problems. Know how to effectively use a plunger and watch online videos for tips on how to do so. Learn how to use a snake or auger for more serious clogs and obstructions. Learn about your toilet bowl and how to reconnect the toilet bowl connection when it is no longer connected properly. Finally, spend some time learning about where your water shut off valve is as this is the first place you should turn to in the case of a water leak. Turning off the water valve is not challenging but requires knowledge of your home and system to do so.
Leave the Challenging Work to Professional Plumbers
There is some plumbing work that a professional plumber is needed for and then a homeowner should not do on their own. Examples of such work or replacing large sections of pipe, identifying and replacing the pipe that was frozen and damaged, and installing or laying new pipe. A local plumbing service could help with these services and allow you the freedom of organizing and understanding your current plumbing system and how to make it better.
Diagnose the Problem
The first step to do when you encounter any sort of plumbing problem is to diagnose the underlying problem so that you can begin to come up with solutions. Sometimes the problem is obvious such as when a toilet bowl is clogged or a sink is slow in clearing itself. Often, a plunger or a snake auger is the best option to try. Other times, the problem is less easy to identify as in the case of a frozen pipe that is not responding. You should consider your current home situation including how often you’ve had repairs in the past and how old your current system is, in addition to outside events such as the weather, any flooding or leaks that have gone on, and even the location of your home. The first step to handle any sort of plumbing problem is to diagnose the problem and to be honest with how serious you think the matter is and what help you may need to correct it.
Get Going
Once you understand the problem that you’re facing in your plumbing system you can get to work either fixing the problem yourself were using an external plumber to assist you with the repair. Get the supplies that you need ready, avoid using chemicals down your drains as they can damage the underlying pipes, and be sure to shut off the water valve before you undertake the needed repairs. You can check with Plumber Westmead today.
Mark Ligon is the Marketing Manager at a leading e-commerce store in plumbing supply. Mark focus is on DIY projects and providing creative and practical advice to individuals looking to complete DIY projects of their own
