Every house has a plumbing system and we all know that sooner or later, we are going to have a problem with it.
What do you do? Call a plumber and a sign a big fat check? Of course not! With today's economy rough economy, that's the last thing you want to do.
With the use of some native ingenuity, we can actually fix a number of problems ourselves and it will also save us a lot of much needed cash.
Keep in mind that there are other plumbing problems that will really require you to use the services of an experienced plumber.
This article is not about taking the work away from the plumber, but more about the few things that you can do on your own.
Being able to at least fix some of the smaller plumbing problems around the house will give some peace of mind.
Simple Plumbing Jobs o Cleaning a clogged kitchen sink trap - This one is fairly simple and can be done by anyone.
Although it is a bit messy, you'll get used to it after doing it a few times.
The most important thing to remember when doing this is to put a bucket underneath the trap to catch all the water and anything else that comes with it.
Simply loosen the slip joint nuts at both ends of the u-shaped trap and pull the trap.
Once the trap is taken out, clean out whatever is clogging the trap, rinse it and re-install.
Check if the joint slip nuts are in good condition and replace if needed.
Check for leaks as well.
o Replace the shower head - One of the easiest to do.
You definitely won't need a plumber for this job.
Go to a local home supply shop and pick out a shower head that you fancy.
Once at home, simply unscrew the old shower head from the shower arm.
Make sure to clean the threads on the shower arm and wrap some Teflon Tape on it to make sure it doesn't leak and finally, screw the new shower head onto the shower arm.
Try it out and see if there are any leaks.
o Replacing the toilet ballcock assembly - If you're not too careful, a leaking ballcock assembly can really give you a problem especially with your water bill which is sad to think considering that this is not so hard to do.
Go to your local home supply shop and pick out a new assembly.
Make sure to turn off the water at the supply valve on the wall.
Flush the toilet bowl to drain the water.
Take the float arm and refill tube off and loosen the coupling nut where the water inlet pipe enters the tank.
Unscrew the nut under the tank and remove the old assembly.
To put the new ballcock assembly, simply reverse the process.
Replace all the washers with new ones along the way.
Turn your water back on and check for leaks.
Also make sure that the float is not rubbing anywhere.