Plumbing skills for homeowners

by | Mar 20, 2013 | General

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Major jobs such as adding a new bath in your home will certainly require the skills of a master plumber in Sparks. However, there many small things that go wrong with the plumbing system that can be repaired by the home handyman. Doing the small things can save a considerable amount of money over the years.

Here are a few basic plumbing skills that every homeowner should have.

Repair a leaky faucet in the kitchen: Repairing a dripping faucet is a simple task that can quite easily be completed in less than an hour. First, turn the water supply to the faucet off and then unscrew the spout. When the spout has been removed you will see an o-ring, this is the problem. Wiggle the ring and it will come away from the seat, once it is out, simply replace it with an identical o-ring, replace the spout, turn the water supply back on and the job is done.

Fix low pressure from the kitchen faucet aerator: When the water pressure from the kitchen faucet slowly drops, chances are the aerator which is on the end of the faucet is clogged. Simply unscrew it, take the screen out and wash it. If the entire assembly is rusted, it is best to replace it.

Silence creaking pipes: Creaking pipes can be aggravating, especially at night while you are trying to sleep. The noise is caused by the pipe rubbing against the wooden joist it is attached to. Buy self-adhesive felt material, cut it into strips and wrap it around the pipe where it comes into contact with the joist.

Repair the sink sprayer: If you find yourself wiggling the hand sprayer to pull it from the fitting, the hose is probably getting hung up or caught on the shut-off valve. If you wrap the valve and pipe with insulation and tape it, the hose will slide by the valve easily.

Removing dropped objects from the toilet: if a toothbrush or child’s toy gets stuck in the toilet, do not plunge it. If you were to use the plunger all you will do is push the object farther into the trap, and it will get stuck. Use a wet-dry vacuum and suck the object out, this is what a plumber in Sparks will do.

Unclog the bathroom drain: When the drain in the bathtub gets clogged with soap residue and hair, do not use a chemical cleaner if you can avoid it. In the majority of cases, you can remove the screen and with a piece of wire bent like a small hook you can fish out the hair and debris.

How to fix a leaking shower head: Remove the shower head from the pipe it is attached to and replace the washer inside the head. Use Teflon tape on the threads when re-assembling it. If you soak the shower head in vinegar, it will remove the lime deposits.

As you can see, there are many small plumbing jobs that do not require the plumber Sparks. Try to repair the little things first and leave the plumber for the big things.

For any problems there is a plumber in Sparks like Paschall Plumbing, Heating and Cooling that can fix them, big or small. For more information, visit them online.