DIY Plumbing Repairs All New Homeowners Should Know

When you move into a new home, there are many things to consider and take note of. Hopefully one of those things is your plumbing and the condition it’s in. Always inspect a new place’s running water, toilets, disposals and appliances like dishwashers and washers. Running into problems here can be frustrating, but using the tips below, you can get back on track.

Turning Off the Water

This is probably one of the most important things to know about your home. Turning off the water to your house requires finding the water meter and turning the valve 90 degrees with a special key. Sometimes the meter is located alongside your home, but other times it’s located near the street under a concrete cover. If the latter is true, you’ll need the help of a city worker to shut off the water. With other relatively minor plumbing issues, turning off the valve to a faucet or another appliance is sufficient. Make sure you know where the valve is located and how to use it.

Fixing a Leaking Pipe

If you notice a leaking pipe in your home, you should be able to quickly repair it if the damage isn’t too severe. Using a two-part epoxy putty or a pipe repair clamp should fix the problem for most small leaks. Just remember to shut off the water to the pipe, dry the pipe, apply the epoxy or clamp, and then turn the water back on to check for leaks. If the pipe is still leaking, then calling a plumber may be best.

Turning off Your Water Heater

The first thing you need to do when turning off a water heater is to turn off the gas or electricity depending on what your heater uses. For gas, turn the gas knob on the heater until it is shut off completely. Electric heaters require flipping the circuit breaker and removing the fuse. The next step is to turn off the valve on the cold water pipe that feeds directly into the heater.

Stopping a Running Toilet

When your toilet is constantly running, there’s something keeping the valve from shutting off completely. Sometimes the flapper doesn’t close all the way, or the chain might too tight. If that’s the case, loosen the chain or replace the flapper to solve the problem. Another possible cause is that the water is higher than the overflow pipe in the holding tank. If it is, you need to adjust the water until it is lower than the pipe.

Backed Up Sink

A common reason your sink gets backed up is because the garbage disposal is clogged or jammed. To clear the disposal, turn off the power to the unit and use a pair of tongs to remove the clog. If you don’t have a disposal, then using a plunger or a drain cleaner in your sink to free the clog may be an option. If that does not help, call a certified plumber for assistance. Rakeman Plumbing recommends avoiding putting grease or fibrous materials down your sink to help prevent this from happening in the future.

With the tips outlined above, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t be able to have sufficient plumbing in your home, and prevent future plumbing related headaches.