Simple Plumbing Problems That You Can DIY

If you can fix a plumbing problem for yourself, you should not bother calling the plumber. In most cases, you just have to use a snake or tighten something that has come loose. Here are some simple plumbing problems that you can DIY:

Leaky Faucet

If you know your way around plumbing tools, you can fix a leaky faucet for yourself.

Here are the steps that you should follow when fixing a leaky faucet:

– Turn off the water to avoid being drenched
– Remove the decorative bits with a screwdriver but take care not to scratch them
– Remove the handle from the stem by unscrewing it then removing with a screwdriver
– Loosen the unpacking nut with a wrench then pry off the stem.
– Remove the O-rings and washers then replace them. If you have no idea which ones to buy, just take the old ones with you to the store to ensure that they match perfectly.
– Reassemble your faucet to see whether it is fixed
– If the faucet is still leaking, you might have to call a plumber

Clogged Drain

If you have a clogged drain, you need to buy a snake to unblock it. If a drain cleaner or plunger does not work, you should feed the coil of a snake into the opening of the drain. Turn the snake clockwise and anti-clockwise to get into the pipe and unblock it.

Once you do this several times, the water sitting in your sink should start draining. If it does not, you should consider calling in the experts who deal with blocked drains.

Running Toilet

Nothing can be worse than a toilet that is continually running.  Before you start repairing it, you should jiggle the handle a bit to see if the running will stop. If that does not do it, you should open the cistern and do some investigation.

– Start by flushing the toilet then removing the lid from your cistern to identify the culprit.
– Manually close the flapper and if the running stops, you should align the flapper with the opening, make sure that the chain has not caught on something, and check whether the flapper is stuck on a hinge.
– If the flapper is not the root of the problem, you should ensure that the water is at the waterline. If it is not, the valve might be partly closed and you need to open it all the way.
– If the valve is open, the float could be the problem. You should pull it up to see if the problem stops; if it does, you should adjust the float to reach the water level.

If the problem persists after doing all this, you should consider replacing the whole mechanism.

Leaky Showerhead