Most Common Household Plumbing Issues
There is a wide array of problems you might run into when it comes to household plumbing. These issues can be very frustrating, and often times require help from a professional. Before you sink money into costly repairs, know that many plumbing problems have a simple solution, and can be done at home as a do-it-yourself project.
Weak Water Pressure in The Shower
Poor water flow from a shower head is usually caused by lime scale buildup. Lime scale is a hard, off -white deposit left on metal surfaces after water containing calcium and salt evaporates.
You will need:
- screwdriver
- descaling solution
- bowl
The steps are simple: Unscrew the shower head and spray plate (a spray plate is the flat disk with small holes in which the water flows through). Leave these parts in the descaling solutions for the amount of time instructed on the product label, and viola! Your shower head is good as new.
Running Toilet
A running toilet is when the water continues to flow into the bowl after being flushed. This causes the tank behind the toilet to remain empty, creating an inability to flush. To fix this, all you need to do is remove the lid to the toilet tank, and reattach the chain found in the bottom of the tank to the lever attached to the toilet handle (you can see the lever moving up and down when pushing the toilet handle as if you are flushing). If this doesn’t work, your toilet might need a longer chain.
You will need:
Clogged Drain
You will need:
Use the screw driver to remove the strainer from your sink. The strainer is the piece that lifts up and down in order to plug or unplug your drain. Next, you will clean the drain as best you can from the outside. Insert the drain stick into the drain. You will feel resistance as the stick hits debris and curves in the drain trap. Continue pushing, and don’t worry, the stick is flexible and is meant to bend. The stick has hooks in many directions, and will pull the hair out as you remove the stick. You can clean the gunk off of the drain stick and reuse it later.
Often it pays to get help from a professional plumber, but in times like these, knowing how to fix simple plumbing repairs can save you time and money.
Have a question about plumbing? Ask the Plumber!
