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Handling your plumbing fixes by yourself may sound unconvincing at first, but not having access to a plumber when you need one the most, or having to pay a lot of money for an easy fix that you could totally handle yourself are good incentives to make you reconsider.
First things First
First, it is better to keep in mind that there are limits to the plumbing fixes you can handle on your own. While repairing leaking faucets and replacing showerheads are pretty good candidates for plumber mom DIY, repairs involving sewage systems and hot water pipes, among other things are better left to the professionals.
This is because a simple problem in such cases can easily aggravate and double the plumbing bills you were trying to avoid in the first place, not to mention the inconvenience that can cause you.
Other problems like recurrent clogged pipes and reduced performance of your home water appliances can be symptoms of hard water problems which can be addressed just by installing a water softener system that matches your household water consumption. You can check water softener reviews on this site to know how you should go about that.
The DIY Plumper mom Arsenal
A large part of doing the job right is having the right tools for the situation in the first place. Taking the pain to get the tools required can turn out to be the difference between a job well done and a messy toilet. Fortunately, these plumbing DIY tools are pretty inexpensive compared to the cost of hiring a plumber, and they are easy to get.
So, here are the essential plumbing tools you should have in your toolbox before going on a plumbing spree:
• Pipe wrench
• Basin wrench.
• Seat wrench.
• Water meter key
• Drain Auger or Drain snake
• Plumber’s putty
• Seal Tape
• Groove pliers or water pump pliers
Now that you have all the tools you need, these are plumbing repairs you can handle by yourself and avoid the expensive plumbing bills – no training required:
1. Repairing a Leaking Faucet: Drip! Drip! It’s time to stop ignoring the leaking faucets. Although they seem harmless, leaky faucets can easily constitute a nuisance if not addressed on time. Whether you are tired of the pooling under your sink or just can’t stand the sound and sight of the continuous water drops anymore, you can fix those leaky faucets of yours in few steps with no prior plumbing expertise.
2. Unclog your Drain: There are several ways to unclog your drain, using baking soda and vinegar is but one approach. Unfortunately, that approach might not be able to get you out of every clogged drain situation. Another practical approach is to use a drain snake, a flexible metal rope designed to rid you of your clogged drain problems. Learning to use this tool will get you through tons of clogged drains and water pooling.
3. Replace your showerhead: Replacing a damaged shower faucet is a pretty easy task, and it can save you both repairs and utility bills. There are tons of DIY shower head replacement guides flying around, and an excellent place to start is reading the instructions that come with your new showerhead. Also, learning a bit about the showerhead flow rate and the types of showerheads available will also help. Oh! And don’t forget to turn off the faucet.
4. Fix Minor Leaky Pipe Joints: Ignoring a leaking plumbing connection is a perfect way to inflate your utility bills. Repairing a small pipe leak is a basic task you can handle on your own. After all, you can’t keep waiting for the plumber to deal with every tiny pipe leak. Applying a tape or tightening a loose joint could be the solution to the problem, and the day is saved!
5. Replacing a Faucet: If its faucet again, then perhaps it’s time to replace that faucet. And you can easily handle it yourself. Whether it’s just for better aesthetic appearance or just plain faulty faucet. Replacing a faucet is not as difficult as you might have expected. Just like replacing a showerhead, you can replace a faucet with a few tools and less than an hour of free time on your hands.
6. Fix a Running Toilet: A continuously running toilet could be due to a fill valve problem or a flapper problem. Either way, the sound of water cycling on and off or running constantly can be infuriating. Despite the intimidating arrangement of the plumbing in there, fixing a running toilet is not as much of a hassle as you would expect, a quick overview of how both valves work and you could be the newest plumber in town.
7. Replace a shutoff Valve: Replacing a shutoff valve will take you less than an hour – if done right. Before that, it is recommended that you read about the two types of connections that can be used to join a shutoff valve to copper plumbing pipes at least. However, connections involving galvanized pipes are better left for professionals to avoid a plumbing nightmare.
8. Minor Water Softener or Conditioner Repairs: Most water softeners are designed to last well over a decade with little to no major faults, but faults are inevitable in every system at some point. Considering your entire household’s water supply depends on it, it might be a good idea to learn a few ways to rectifying simple water softener problems yourself.
9. Jammed Garbage Disposal: The garbage disposal is presumably one of the most straightforward fixes on this list. Using the overload button will often fix the issue, but it can sometimes require a little more technical action than pushing buttons. Rotating the blades with an Allen wrench can also help resolve the problem. The most important thing to remember in fixing garbage disposal is always to unplug the unit first.
10. Unclog your toilet: A clogged toilet can be quite an embarrassment. But you can quickly resolve the issue by yourself with the right tools, no need to get a plumber. With just a good plunger and a toilet snake, you can get the clogged toilet running again in minutes. Here’s an excellent article on how to unclog a toilet without a plunger that you might want to check out. Done! No more awkward situations.
Conclusion
Repairs and utility bills resulting from faulty plumbing can get high fast. A basic understanding of how these repairs work, the right tools, and a bit of courage can get you through it all and feeling like the family hero again. Doing these easy fixes yourself will also relieve you the inconvenience of waiting around for the plumber to repair even the most minor faults.
