2 Simple Plumbing Fixes That You Should Know About

The following was contributed by a blog partner.

Plumbing and electricity are two areas where many people are not confident with doing the work themselves. This is understandable.

While electrics can cause injury or even death, leaking pipes can rapidly ruin your home and cause a range of health issues. This is why it is important to have the number for an emergency plumber to hand; they can effectively save your home.

You can learn more about your local plumber and the services they offer.

It is worth learning these two simple fixes; they could be just what you need while waiting for your plumber to arrive:

1. The Running Toilet

A running toilet is annoying; it can also be expensive as every bit of water will increase your water bill. It is actually very simple to deal with the running toilet.

The cause is usually a stop valve or the floater switch. You can usually tell it is this by jiggling the handle on your cistern and the water will stop running.

The water in the cistern is clean.

While you can replace the entire assembly it is also possible that you can fix the issue by adjusting the float level. It will usually be attached to a thread. Simply wind it down the thread. This will prevent the cistern from overflowing and constantly running.

The alternative is that the flapper at the bottom is no longer sitting properly. To fix this you will need to shut the water supply off to the tank and then pull the flush. You will need to use a siphon to remove the last of the water.

You can then remove the internal unit and either replace just the flapper or the entire unit.

2. Unblocking a Sink

The plunger is often the first tool used to help unblock your sink. However, while this can be effective it may simply shift the blockage, allowing it to become a problem again in a few more weeks.

It is better to resolve the issue properly by removing the trap and physically clearing out the offending material.

This is very easy to do. You will need to place a bowl under the sink to carry any water and debris.

Then undo the trap – this is the bit which houses the ‘U’ shape. It will always have water in as it prevents methane from rising out of the sewer. This water will fall into the bowl when you remove this bend.

You will then be able to clean the bend by inserting your fingers or some other tool, such as a toothbrush.

Once it is clear you can put it back in place and retighten the nuts. It is advisable that you replace the washers when doing this.

If you are confident that you can complete the plumbing fix yourself, then this can save you time and money. However, you should always have the number of a plumber available just in case you need their assistance.

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