Nothing is more satisfying than completing a do-it-yourself home improvement. Dusting your hands off at the end of the day whilst standing in front of a completed project is a great feeling. DIY is also cheaper than calling in a professional in most circumstances. Plumbing is one area that very few homeowners have much experience in. People tend to call professional plumbers before even considering doing the work themselves. Here are some small plumbing jobs you can complete with only basic home improvement skills. Before jumping into the jobs you can do yourself, here is a quick guide to the kind of jobs you can’t.
When To Call In The Professionals
Whilst it is possible to fix some simple plumbing issues yourself, some tasks need the trained eye and experienced hands of a professional to complete. Serious issues such as frozen pipes, low water pressure, and sewage line blockage require specialist tools and expertise to fix. Plumbing issues can seriously affect the sanitary health of your family. Any work involving sewage lines should be dealt with by a person familiar with the workings of household waste disposal. Likewise, some boiler repair work can be dangerous for an untrained person.
Getting a plumber to come over isn’t usually too much of a hassle. Most towns have local plumbing companies willing to arrive at your doorstep at short notice. Calling a local company will save a great deal of time. For central Texans, calling a Grand Prairie plumbing company such as Dial One is a great first step if you have boiler, sewage, or pipe issues. With that warning out of the way, here are some jobs you can take care of yourself.
Fixing Clanging Or Hammering Pipes
Have you ever turned the tap on, only to be greeted by an almighty shuddering sound? This phenomenon is known as water hammer, and occurs when water is suddenly stopped in its tracks. This sudden stop causes a shockwave that rumbles your pipes. Most plumbing systems have air chambers built into them to reduce the effect of any shockwave. These can slowly become full of water, which can lead to water hammering suddenly becoming a problem. The easiest way of solving the issue is by closing off your water supply and opening all of your taps. This should drain any water that is being held in your air chambers and allow your plumbing to deal with shockwaves once again.
Fixing A Running Toilet
People call plumbers all the time for help with a toilet that won’t stop running. The truth is that it is easy and cheap to fix this problem yourself. The problem most likely stems from a broken flapper or a leaky fill valve. Both components are extremely cheap to purchase from hardware stores and can be installed with minimal fuss. Test the flapper first. If the running water stops when you depress it with a stick, you know that it isn’t depressing correctly on its own. If this isn’t the issue, you’ll need to replace your fill valve.
