Regardless of whether you’re renting or owning, knowing how to address simple home plumbing issues on your own is going to save you a lot of time, money, and hassle. However, with the amount of things that can possibly go wrong with the plumbing in your home, it can be hard to know which things you should know how to do on your own and which things you should only trust to a professional. To help make these judgment calls a little easier, here are three common home plumbing problems you may face and a few tips on how to deal with them.
Fixing A Blocked Trap
It’s totally common and natural for things other than water to get flushed down your plumbing every once in awhile. Now, while it’s best to keep this from happening in the first place, there are a couple things you should know about attempting to fix a clogged drain by removing a blockage in the trap. The DIY Network shares that the first thing you should do is have a bowl ready to catch any water that comes out of the pipes while you’re working under the sink. Next, undo the trap and use something like an old toothbrush to get out any stuck debris and clear out blockages from the trap piece. Finally, put the trap back after you’ve applied a new washer to keep any future leaks from happening.
Fixing Leaking Pipe Joints
Leaking pipes, especially at the joint areas, can happen for any number of reasons. But if and when you do notice water leaking out of the joint of your pipes, you’re likely going to be more concerned with how to make it stop rather than what could have caused it to happen. For this issue, FamilyHandyman.com recommends making sure the joints are secured using one of two types of Teflon on the threads of the joints. For best results, you should attach the pipes back together after either wrapping the threading end with Teflon tape or using a Teflon pipe joint compound. These products will ensure that the seal between the pipes is adequate enough to eliminate the risk of water leaking out between the pipes.
Shutting Off Water Flow or Supply
If the water coming through your home’s plumbing system is getting out of control, your first move should always be to shut off the water. However, this isn’t something that every homeowner or renter knows how to do for their own house. To help with this, Don Vandervort, a contributor to HomeTips.com, states that you should locate where the shut off valve is closest to the fixture as well as where the shut off valve is for your entire house, which is often found by your water heater. Take the time before you have a major water issue to locate these valves and understand which way to turn them in order to get the water to stop flowing at that particular location.
If you feel less than competent regarding your home’s plumbing, use the tips mentioned above to help you figure out how to do some basic plumbing repair on your own.