Everyone these days is trying new things out. Some are trying their luck with art, while others like being creative. So, how about you give a shot to plumbing? It is all about playing with tools together while fixing things. Even though hiring a professional is no doubt the safest and fastest way to get around a plumbing issue, but plumbing issues don’t come knocking the doors, rather its quite unexpected.
Plumbing is not arduous, it’s quite simple, and a little schooling about it can help you save heaps of money on hiring a plumber. Are you wondering how to get the hang of these plumbing tasks? Look below for different plumbing tips for beginners and start digging into clogged drains and leaking pipes.
Fix Showerhead Issues
Honestly, leaking and clogged shower heads are very common plumbing problems. For fixing showerheads, thick thread tapes can come to your rescue. Dripping showerheads never fail to create a mess inside the bathrooms, while also wasting tons of water. It usually happens when the threads inside the shower heads fell weak or loose.
So, how can you fix it? Believe it or not, but it is very easy. Begin by unscrewing the showerhead, apply the thread tape in one direction, and then place back showerhead. Do you know what else? The simplest way to fix a clogged showerhead is by soaking it in a bowl with vinegar and warm water.
It would help in removing all the blockage instantly. Besides, grab a toothpick and start digging into those tiny holes to clear the dust and dirt to open the pores and enjoy the fast flow of water while showering. Fortunately, with these useful tips, you can also contact Mr Rooter plumbing of Dallas for further assistance.
Learn to Seal the Pipes
Are you tired of leaking pipes? You can either change the whole pipe or sealing them is another option to stop leakages. You can either opt for thread tapes or dope. However, bear in mind that dope is like a glue, which means it can be very sticky and messy. Hence, it would be a better decision to opt for thread tapes.
Begin by taking out a piece of tape, big enough to cover the hole in the pipe. At the same time, it is imperative to invest in thicker tapes to cover the leakages carefully. Preferably, you can use white tape for fixing these leakages, since it goes along with the color of pipes. After all, different colored tapes have different purposes.
Remove Clogs by using a Drain Snake
Is it taking ages for the water drain from the sink? Usually, people are sick and tired of clogged drains, but you manage this problem efficiently. Firstly, you have an option to use those heavy chemical cleaning solutions without being socially responsible, or you manually try unclogging the drains, keeping the environmental hazards in mind. Grab yourself a drain snake or a plunger, whatever suits you.
Prepare yourself to give a few tries since removing the blockage in one go is quite impossible. Alongside being a safer option, these are reusable too. You would have to use a plunger in case of blocked toilets, they work quite effectively but requires strength.
Improve the Efficiency of Water Heater
Believe it or not, but efficiency is the key to any job. Thus, make sure that your water heater’s thermostat is set at the right temperature. It is not necessary to keep the temperature high, even by lowering the temperature, you would have sufficient hot water. Surprisingly, you can also save money on your electricity bills by using the heater at a lower temperature.
Feel free to protect your water tank by covering it up with some insulating blankets that would help in keeping the water warm. Sometimes, the water tanks are affected by dirt particles and sediments. It halts their performance because debris is causing blockages. Therefore, it is important that you step in and clean the water tank occasionally too. It is quite simple; you just need to drain out all the water until you witness water turning clean.
Use heat to Loosen Tough Water Pipe Fittings
Have you tried bending a pipe with a lot of pressure and strength? These pipes are very tough, and it’s not a piece of cake to loosen these pipes. You need to grab some tools like wrenches to pull off the pipes. The size of wrench depends on the pipe, but if you don’t want to invest in a lot of wrenches, opt for heating the pipes.
For this, you have to grab a propane torch, and it would pass on heat directly to the pipes. You have to continue doing this for a couple of minutes but protect the nearby surface and walls because heat can leave burning marks all around. However, this technique only works for metal pipes since gas or plastic pipes would explode when exposed to heat.
Replace Parts of the Toilet or Faucet Yourself
Have you seen water dripping from toilet flappers? It happens because flappers are not durable; you have to change them every 6 months to avoid such problems. However, buzzing a plumber every 6 months can create holes in your pocket. Therefore, try replacing them yourself; you just have to unplug some screws and knobs, and you are good to go.
People are very skeptical when it comes to working with faucets since they don’t risk expensive hardware. You don’t need to replace the faucet if it is dripping, rather than replace a cartridge, and it would work fine. Well, if you notice, all of them come with a set of instructions so you can learn the ropes. Thus, next time you hear water dripping in your bathroom, you now know the drill.
FINAL WORD
Generally, it is a good thing to have a handful of skills, and plumbing is not just easy, but safe too. Alongside helping you save the plumbing expense, it helps you take control of the issues instantly rather than waiting for a plumber to arrive. If you are wondering how? Have a look at the above tips, which will help you as a beginner to take care of plumbing jobs all by yourself.