DIY Home Repairs
Spring a leak? Hearing funny noises from one of your drains? Toilet not flushing properly? These are all plumbing issues that need to be tended to, but with a little knowledge you may not need to incur the additional expense of a licensed plumber. Sharing information is something we do love to do, and John the Plumber offers some small DIY home repair tips below for all of Hamilton’s homeowners. The unknown can make a fix it project feel like a daunting task, but often a plumbing issue isn’t as scary as it seems, nor does it require specialty tools.
Toilet Tanks
It is actually quite difficult to damage toilet parts, and the insides of a toilet tank can often be repaired by just about anybody. One of the first things you can do is head to another washroom in your home where the toilet is functioning properly. Take off the lid on the tank, flush the toilet and observe the mechanics inside. For example, when you flush ‘the flapper’ is what drains water from the tank and into the bowl. It is attached to the tank lever by a small chain; when the tank lever is pressed, the chain lifts the flapper. If it’s just a flapper that needs replacing, you can go to the hardware store, purchase a new one and repair your toilet yourself – it can be that simple!
Old Shower Heads
If you have a wrench and some thread tape, you too can replace a shower head! Shower heads that are faulty due to simple wear and tear can often be easily replaced by a homeowner without calling in a professional. Replacing a fixed shower head with a removable one can make a huge difference. Note that removable shower heads generally only have to be hand tightened, but have a wrench on hand to remove the old fixed one.
NO Chemicals
Albeit it would seem using a chemical would be the way to go, we will never recommend that you put any chemicals down your drains to unblock them. Chemicals can heat up and actually crack a porcelain bowl or cause damage to your pipes. We recommend purchasing a drain snake in order to clear out minor clogs that you may have in your kitchen or bathroom; you would be amazed how much hair we can lose showering and that alone can cause your drain to be clogged – you’ll be happy you bought one!
Stubborn Clogs
Boiling water can be your best friend for stubborn toilet clogs. Emptying a few pots of boiling water into the toilet and allowing it to sit for a bit will quite often dissolve a blockage enough to get things moving again.
John the Plumber Hamilton is always here to assist with all your plumbing needs. If you find yourself unable to fix an issue on your own, give us a call and we will promptly be over to help you!
