Every Homeowner Needs to Know These 5 DIY Plumbing Tricks

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 06 June 2017 14:48

Figuring out your home’s plumbing is a lot easier said than done, and we know that so many homeowners everywhere struggle with some of the most basic plumbing procedures, and really it’s just crazy. If you are someone who looks at themselves in the mirror in the bathroom and knows that there is nothing in the room that you can explain the manufacturing and functionality of then you are in the right place because we are going to provide a list of the 4 DIY plumbing tricks all homeowners must know.

#1: How to Shut Off the Water

You’d be surprised how many people don’t know how to shut off the water in their homes, and if you don’t know exactly how to shut off your whole house’s water supply then you’re going to have a ton of trouble with leaks and all other plumbing repairs.

What you need to do is locate your water meter, and this might be a little tricky depending on your property. This is the piece of equipment all homeowners need to know about, but for some reason many people don’t consider it something they need to necessarily be aware of. Usually it’s located on the side of the house or sometimes it’s buried near your street.

What you do when you find your water meter is turn your shutoff valve all the way to off, and this will essentially shutoff all your home’s water.

Shutting off plumbing fixtures is something everyone needs to know too, and it can be easy, but many times when a toilet or sink overflows homeowners start to freak out and don't know exactly what to do. Every bathtub, shower, toilet and sink has a shutoff valve, and it’s typically located on a wall right underneath the fixture.

#2: Turning Off a Water Heater

This step might be even more important than knowing where your water meter is and things of that nature, and that’s because so many homes undergo problems with their heated water.

The first thing you’ll need to know is what type of water heater you have, it’s either electric or gas. For electric heaters all you’ll need to do is flip the power breaker off, and for gas heaters you’ll need to turn the gas knob off.

If you need to stop water from coming into your water heater then you’ll need to go to your cold water shutoff valve that goes into the heater, most likely clockwise.

#3: Fixing a Leaking Pipe

There are many instances in which a leaking pipe isn’t necessarily bad enough to call a professional plumber, and one of the main ways to do so is with epoxy putty, although you’ll want to make sure you do it properly and that the putty is securely around the pipe and set before turning the pipe’s water back on.

You can also use a repair clamp that works pretty well too, and it’s similar to the putty in that you’ll have to turn your water off and then securely fasten the clamp onto the spot of the leak before turning the water back on.

#4: Stopping a Running Toilet

This is an annoying one that almost all homeowners don’t know what to do about, and usually it’s a pretty simple fix if you know what you’re doing. Typically if your toilet is running non-stop then you are experiencing too high of water levels in the tank or a worn flapper.

To adjust the float height in your toilet tank all you have to do is adjust the slide of the rod to a lower setting, and installing a new flapper is also very simple.

 If you have any further questions about any of these tips or just want to learn more about how you can be a better DIY plumber check out the site of plumber Arlington Heights, IL for more information. 

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