Hi, let’s talk plumbing 101 Diy Plumbing Repairs. in my experience, as a master plumber, I get calls all the time to fix things most people can do themselves and save money.
Today we are going to give you detailed information on 10 plumbing 101 fixes doing your own DIY repairs. I will cover these 10 easy fixes that will save you at $150 in services calls:
- Calk around sink or bathtub
- Replace a leaky shower head
- Fix a leaky faucet
- Install a new bathroom faucet
- Stop a toilet from running
- Address water pressure issues
- Replace washing machine hoses
- Unclog a Drain
- Get that garbage disposal working
- Change a bathtub water spout
Table of Contents
Plumbing 101 DIY Plumbing Repairs
Calk around Sink or Bathtub
When you see cracked of moldy calk around your bathtub, toilet or sink it is best to re-calk these areas to prevent water damage.
Start by removing the old calk using a utility knife first to break any seals in the calk. Then use a sharp chisel and carefully scrape the old calk out of the voids around the fixture you are repairing.
When you are done removing the old calk, clean the area thoroughly and sweep up the mess. This was easy right?
Next get a calking gun and a fresh tube of calk. Cut the tip about an inch down on a 45 degree angle. Don’t have to be exact, just guess. Then using steady pressure on the trigger slowly start at on end of the tub or what ever you are calking and put a bead down going all the way accross.
Try keeping the line neat and fill in the gap without too much calk. You can wet your finger and rub the bead to make it smooth and remove any excess call. Let dry for a few hours before use.
If after calking you see any leaking it is time to call a professional. If your home needs re-piping only a professional plumber should do the work.
Replace A leaky Shower Head
Removing an old showerhead and replacing it with a new one is rather a simple task. Most of the time the is just one nut to remove. Just unscrew it and replace it with the new one.
If the old nut gives you a problem try using a pair of vice grips. If you don’t have that in your tool box and you are stuck try a pipe wrench. If you don’t want to go to the local hardware store to purchase one, then I guess you must call a plumber.
This would be a costly repair to call a plumber for, so while the plumber is there have them do something else so it doesn’t cast that much.
How To Fix a Leaky Faucet
Most faucet problems either come from a drip from the spout or leaking at the base. These fixes are pretty easy and all you need to do is watch the video below which shows you how to do this.
Installing a new bathroom faucet
Your faucet may be damaged or perhaps it is just old and you want to replace it. All you need to do is first turn off the water supply underneath the cabinet. Once the water supply is shut off follow the supply lines up to where they connect to the sink.
You can use a pair of channel locks to unscrew the lines. Once they are unscrewed the faucet should come right out. Just follow the steps in reverse to install the new one. To Help you out I also supplied a video.
How to stop a toilet from running
Plumbing 101 Tip a toilet that is running is an annoying problem. Most of us a familiar with the jiggling of the toilet handle to get the toilet to stop. But that is only a temporary fix. Sometimes you can’t even hear the running toilet and don’t know you have a problem until you get a huge bill from the water company.
A toilet running problem most of the time is either the flap at the bottom is worn out or there is calcium deposits built up. The other problem could be your float adjustment is to high or it is broken.
99% of the time it is a faulty flap. First, turn off the water. Then Just unhook the chain at the flushing handle and remove the old flap. Get a replacement and install it. Bam you’re done. I also included a video.
Addressing Water Pressure Issues
Water pressure issues mostly happen over time. The biggest problem with water pressure is the build up of minerals. The fastest way to find the problem is to work from the lowest point up.
- Start with shutting off the water at its source to the faucet.
- Then disconnect the line from the source and then test for pressure by opening the line into a bucket. Almost 100% of the time the pressure will be fine. If not consider calling a professional plumber to access the situation.
- Reattach the line to the source and turn the water back on. Now check the aerator to see if the filter is clogged. If it is then clean the filter and recheck the water pressure.
- Showerheads need to be replaced or cleaned periodically.
Replacing Washing Machine Hoses
About every five years your washing machine hoses need to be looked at to check for wear or leaking hoses. If you discover your hoses need to be replaced this is a simple process. First shut off the water supply to the hot and cold source.
use a pair of pliers to get the threads loose and remove from the water source. Next do the same on the washer. Once the old hoses are removed reinstall the new ones in the same manner working backwards buy first installing to the washing machine then to the water source then finally turning on the water source to check for leaks.
If you see some seepage from any connection try tightening with the pliers. If that doesn’t work try taking off the problem hose and wrapping the source pipe threads with plumbers tape, reinstall and test again.
If the water source keeps leaking you may have stripped threads and may need to replace the pipe. If you are not comfortable doing that yourself call a professional plumbing service provider like Alfa Plumbing Services
Unclog A Drain
From time to time you will experience a clogged drain. The worse thing you can do is use drain cleaning solvents to clear a drain. I know this is a quick fix, but over time these solvents can erode the inside of your plumbing pipes and cause leaking.
First try using a few tables spoons of baking soda down the drain and give it about 15 minutes and test. If the drain is still clogged then you will need to disconnect the trap and clean it out.
Most homes these days have PVC plumbing and the traps are easily removed by hand. Clean out the trap and reinstall. If your drain is still clogged the clog is deeper in the drainage system and will need to be snaked out.
If you are uncomfortable doing this contact Alfa Plumbing Services if you are in the Baytown Tx Area at (713) 992-9257
Get the garbage disposal working
Ever went to use the garbage disposal and you hear a buzz then the circuit pops. you reset it and it does it again. If you have experienced this and resolved it, you know almost 100% of the time there is something in the disposal that is jamming the blades from turning.
The simple solution is to find whatever it is that is jammed and remove it so your garbage disposal works again. Here is how to do it.
First unplug the garbage disposal or turn off the barker at the service panel. Then using a flash light look inside the disposal to find what is jamming it. If you can’t see it right away try turning the blades.
Don’t worry the blades are not these razor sharp things you might imagine after watching some TV or Movies where someone has cut off their hands after sticking them in the garbage disposal. The blades are just nubs sticking up off a tray that spins and crushes bones and cartilage to be disposed of.
To spin the try use a broom handle or something like that to get it to turn if you can. Most of the time you can get whatever is keeping the blades from spinning loose and be able to remove it.
I have seen things like bottle caps, utensils, jewelry, and other things a child has put down the disposal. This will save you money to do this yourself. Bur of course if you don’t feel comfortable doing it you can always call a professional like Alfa Plumbing Services to do it for you.
Changing a bathtub water spout
Changing a bathtub water spout is really simple and straight forward. Some just twist off like you see in the image and some have a set screw at the bottom that you need to remove before you can take off the water spout.
If you can’t unscrew it most likely it has some mineral build up on the nut and you will need the persuasion of an adjustable wrench and a rag to turn it. If it still doesn’t give, call a professional like alfa plumbing services or visit the website at https://alfaplumbingservices.com