Plumbing Problems You Can Fix Yourself
Early identification and resolution of plumbing issues can save both money and inconvenience to you, and may help protect your home. Repairing clogged drains, leaky faucets or running toilets yourself are simple fixes any homeowner can implement themselves.
Be mindful that not all plumbers are equal. Here are a few questions to ask before hiring professional plumbing services. Also, remember that you can find free advice and services online.
Dripping Pipes
Dripping pipes can be an enormously detrimental nuisance that will increase water bills while damaging both your home’s structure and foundation, as well as providing a poorer quality water supply. A single leak could cost thousands over time!
As an easy solution for dripping pipes, one quick solution is to switch off all water appliances in the area and place a bucket beneath any drips to collect excess water. A plumber should then be hired to repair or replace damaged sections of pipework.
Corrosion, loose fittings and age are often to blame for leaky pipes. Sometimes simply tightening a joint or decreasing water pressure will resolve this problem.
However, if the source of the leak lies deep within your plumbing system (i.e. crawl space or attic), professional help from a plumber should be sought to address it properly and permanently. Plumbers may recommend adding slip couplings; these watertight connections can easily be purchased and installed from most hardware stores.
Gurgling Toilet
If your toilet makes gurgling noises, that indicates some type of blockage in its plumbing lines preventing waste and air from moving freely through drain pipes, creating negative pressure which leads to gurgling sounds or bubbles you are hearing.
Most commonly, this clog is caused by items being flushed down the toilet that should not have been, such as cotton balls, wipes and feminine hygiene products. A professional plumber should likely be hired to deal with it.
There’s also the chance that this gurgling sound could be caused by an obstruction in your town’s municipal sewage system, which requires your town’s water company to resolve. Although clogs in residential plumbing pipes may be easier to identify than ones within municipal sewer networks, their experts will have access to tools like mini cameras capable of dropping into vent stacks as well as powerful sewer augers to quickly unclog these pipe systems.
Leaking Faucets
Dripping faucets can be more than an inconvenience; they can increase your water bill and lead to other home problems like mold. A professional plumber can quickly and correctly repair leaky faucets for you. Before beginning the repair work, make sure you switch off the water, find and turn clockwise the fixture shutoff valves beneath the sink, cover drain with an old towel or T-shirt in order to stop new parts or parts falling into it, then cover drain again using tape or towels as protection from falling down it.
Most leaky faucets are caused by worn out O-rings and washers rubbing against the valve seat, creating friction. Other causes may be incorrect size washers or installation errors. A plumber can install new inlet and outlet seals as a solution and replace both cartridge and spout assemblies as needed; you can purchase these parts at plumbing supply specialists.
