How many times have you called a plumber, only to pay well over $100 for something you could have done easily in a few minutes if you had known what to do? Instead of kicking yourself in the head next time, why not learn some easy DIY plumbing fixes you really should know. You can also do this by chatting a professional plumber through the iPlumber app – download here. Yes, there are times when you need a plumber for that drain jetting every once in a while, but sometimes you can fix the problem with a little time, elbow grease and basic tools like a plunger or snake.
When Your Toilet Won’t Flush
There is a very real difference between a toilet that’s stopped up and a toilet that won’t flush. Obviously, if the toilet is stopped up and won’t drain, there is a clog somewhere. However, what would you do if you pushed the lever and nothing happened? No water comes out and you can’t feel any tension in the lever as you push. It could simply be disconnected from the chain or you could need an entire new fill valve or ballcock. You can find easy DIY fixes for a toilet that won’t flush on The Plumbing Info website, and often, you can do the job yourself for just the cost of parts. Sometimes, it isn’t as hard as it looks. But when things get complicated, you may want to consider a total professional servicing that would range from from toilet plunging to septic tank pumping.
Clogged Drains in Bathroom Sinks
If anyone in your home has long hair and constantly combs it over the bathroom sink, this is going to be a common problem. Fortunately, it’s an easy fix. The only thing you need to do in most cases is to pull the stopper out, pull any hair that’s tangled in it and then run hot water down the drain. Sometimes you may need to use chemicals like common household bleach to dissolve hair and grease while other times you may need to use a snake to work the debris through the drain pipe. Quite often a DIY repair to a bathroom sink requires you to take the trap off, clean it thoroughly, replace the washers and you are good to go again. Clogged bathroom sinks are one of the easier DIY plumbing fixes but if it becomes too complicated for you, you can call a drain cleaning professional to complete the task.
Loss of Water Pressure in Shower Heads
One of the most frustrating things when taking a shower is to have insufficient pressure to wash your hair or scrub off the sweat after a hard day at work. Did you know that you may not need to buy a whole new fixture? Nine times out of ten, the problem is lime buildup in the showerhead. Products like Lime-A-Way are known as descaling agents and all you need is a big enough bowl to soak the shower head in, some descaling solution, and patience to wait while the chemical does its magic.
These are just a few of the easy fixes you can do yourself without calling in a plumber. Sometimes it takes knowing what could be the ultimate cause and then it’s as easy as looking up DIY solutions online. Some plumbing repairs are the easiest DIY fixes you’ll ever need to use in your home, so take time to learn a few. It pays in the end. If you encounter a plumbing or a sewer problem that is too complicated for you to fix, you may contact a Sewer Line Repair Solutions expert to take care of it. You may also want to consider installing plastic manholes as a possible long-term solution. You can read more about it here.
