Do It Yourself Plumbing

With simple guidelines and basic tools, homeowners can unclog plumbing problems themselves and work on projects for repairing and replacing faucets, fixing and installing toilets, putting in water filters and working with copper and PVC pipe. Most of these tasks can be handled competently while bearing in mind some safety tips and lessons in the correct tool use.

Tips and lessons for DIY plumbing

The most important step in doing plumbing yourself making everyone in the house aware where the main water cutoff is, in case of an emergency. A common problem is Toilet overflow: if this could be a possibility for you, then quickly remove the tank lid, reach down and push the flush valve closed. It covers the tennis ball-sized opening in the bottom of the tank and keeps the bowl from overflowing while you clear the obstruction.
Every few years, a toilet check conducted for leaks will help you prevent the problem or stop it in time. This can be done by removing the tank lid, adding food coloring to the water in the tank and checking the bowl in ten or fifteen minutes. If you see color, the flapper valve may be leaking.
It is advisable to check the meter in the house as a movement in one of the dials is a sure sign of a water leak, mostly in the washroom and this can be an expensive proposition over time. If there is no leak, then the dials on the meter will be stable.
A do it yourself tip for extending the life of your water heater involves the periodic draining of a gallon or two of water twice a year from the drain valve at the bottom of the heater so the sediment in it can be cleared. If there are any drains that have clogged and stopped working, using drain cleaners is a last resort, as they do not show very good results. At times, since these drain cleaners can just leave you with a sink filled with caustic liquid and foul odor, so always use a plunger first to ease the clogging effect possibility.

Where to purchase do it yourself plumbing products

All major super markets and local stores will stock the regular plumbing products used in do it yourself projects by homeowners. While buying these, keep in mind that the best plunger to use in a sink drain is one that has a neck on it. The laundry valves should always be closed when not in use, in case hose breaks. Ascertain before buying fixtures if replacement parts will be readily available.

There are many more fixture articles in our fixture section. There is more specific information in the links at the beginning of this article. They can guide you where you need to go.