Once you have a plumbing problem, most of the time, you can only rest once it has been fixed. Most problems emanate from poor installations, and poor installations will often lead to leaks and clogs. Poor installations can also come from poor quality products. If you install a shoddy washer, you perennially deal with leaky taps. The second common source of problems is aging systems. Once the system starts to age, it starts gathering rust, and eventually, it succumbs.
How do you deal with common plumbing issues such as clogged drains and toilets, dripping taps, slow-draining sinks, and low water pressure? You have many options at your disposal, but you must be able to choose the most convenient one for you. Sometimes what is convincing and doable requires technical knowhow.
This is what to do when you have a niggling plumbing problem.
Call a plumber
Professional plumbers know their way around plumbing systems and appliances. They experience fixing these problems on a daily basis and will handle your concerns professionally. According to AllMastersPlumbing.com, the most common mistake homeowners do is trying to solve the problem on-the-spot, without even looking for what caused it. They reckon that if you fix a system yourself, you will not rest assured that you have done a great job. You will continuously have those niggling doubts that you still have a plumbing issue to fix.
Such an experience is not good for a person who wants to concentrate on other things in their career and life. This is why hiring experts whenever you are unsure of anything is critical. Trying to fix a problem you have no idea of may lead to further damage, meaning more money to be spent.
Ensure you have some DIY tools
If you must do it, ensure you have the necessary tools so that you can do it well. Water pump pliers, pipe wrenches, augers, pipes are also wonderful additions to your arsenal. You may also consider buying a hack. Use the hacksaw to cut pipes where necessary. It cuts smoothly and can be repurposed for other tasks.
How to deal with specific problems
Each problem will be unique for you now that you don’t have experience. It will also be a bit difficult. However, you can perfect it over time. Here are some of the specifics.
Dripping faucets
A faulty internal washer causes leaky taps. You can fix the problem by replacing the faulty washer. First, put off the tap in the mains to prevent flooding. Remove the faucet head without your tools. Use the pipe wrench to loosen the faucet before removing it. Ensure that you have the correct size of the washer before you can remove the pipe.
Slow or blocked sinks
The cause of drain blockage is dirt, along with the piping. Fats, vegetables, hair, foodstuff remains, and other materials can block your sink. Before we talk of how to take care of it, ensure that nothing that can take time to decompose comes near the sink. When it comes to cleaning, you can use chemicals or other locally available methods.
With regard to chemicals, ensure that you have all the protective gear to prevent corrosion of your skin. Also, ensure you understand the process. It is also wise not to mix different chemicals. Pour the chemicals down the drain and wait.
Other mechanical methods include using the plumber’s snake to force the drains to clear manually. It can be a dirty process. You have to endure nasty smells.
Running toilet
A running toilet will keep running throughout without automatically detecting that the cistern is full. It is because of a faulty flapper. You can fix this by resetting the flapper so that it can be pushed upwards by the incoming water. The action causes the flapper to close the source of water from bringing more, thereby preventing a runny toilet.
Leaky pipes
The only solution to leaky piper is to find the location of the leak and to fix it. If the tube has several leaks, you may want to replace it permanently. If the pipe has a leak near a joint, you may need to replace both.
Cleaning
Once you have done a plumbing job, clean up after yourself. Use detergents that have antimicrobial powers to disinfect the area thoroughly. If you were cleaning toilet drains, you might want to clean the surroundings and disinfect it religiously.
Dealing with plumbing problems when you don’t have the necessary technical experience in doing it is a challenging task. Even with all the tools and gear, it still takes a train and error approach to achieve success. You can unclog any drain if you have the tools and the knowledge. But whenever you feel any uncertainty, call in the professionals and you can rest assured that your pipes will be as good as they can get without you having to dirty your hands.