How to Do Plumbing Repairs

You can spend a lot of time keeping the water flowing in your home, but the question is if you want to do it. Basic plumbing repairs are not difficult, but some water issues can be complicated and difficult to complete if you don't have the knowledge or the correct tools. Many people are comfortable with basic repairs, such as fixing leaky faucets and tackling running toilets, but many also choose to turn to plumbing professionals to handle those jobs and more complicated repairs.

Things You'll Need

• Learn the homes water supply and drainage systems, Locate water shutoff valves, Plumbing tools and supplies

Instructions

1. Understand the home's water supply system and drainage system. Know the locations of hot and cold water pipes that snake through the home and where the waste and drainage pipes lead.

2. Locate emergency water shutoff valves for sinks, toilets and showers. Also locate the main water shutoff for the entire house. If your house is heated by hot water, be aware that shutting water to the system might require shutting the burner or hot water heater. Don't do anything with these systems unless you understand how they work.

3. Invest in wrenches. You need basic and special plumbing wrenches. A pipe wrench is an adjustable wrench with serrated jaws. You need two--one for holding a pipe or fitting and one for turning the connecting piece. Adjustable spud wrenches turn large flat-sided nuts. Socket wrenches for nuts and valves are used for faucet stems. Chain wrenches and strap wrenches have lengths of chain or fabric that loop around large diameter pipes to hold them. An Allen wrench of the appropriate size will remove a faucet's valve seat.

4. Fill your toolbox with other tools and supplies. A hacksaw can cut pipe, but there are specially designed cutters for copper, steel and plastic pipe. Drain-cleaning tools include a plunger and an auger (also known as a snake), which is a long flexible tube with a spiral hook at one end and a lock at the other. Some augers are manual and some are power-driven. Pipe joint compound or pipe thread is used around connection threads. Plumbers' putty is used to seal joints. Packing, also called wicking, is used to repair faucets.

5. Basic repairs include fixing a leak. unclogging a drain, clearing the main drain and replacing various parts of a toilet. Blockages can be caused by a clog in the main drain rather than in a pipe directly fitted to a fixture. Waste flows downward and the blockage might be located below the lowest clogged fixture. You might be able to clear it by accessing the main drain in the house. If drainage is not completely blocked but just sluggish, tackle the problem from above--the stack vent that you access from the roof.

Tips & Warnings

• The most common problems in a house are a leak or a clog. These are the easiest problems to repair. Have the name of a reputable plumber readily available for an emergency.

References

• Plumbing Primer from This Old House