There are three common residential plumbing problems that most homeowners have had at one time or another. These include plugged sinks or toilets, dripping faucets, and leaking pipes. If you have any of these problems, it is important that you deal with these as soon as you can or they could become worse. If you wait and have to call in an emergency plumber, it can be expensive. One important thing to remember before doing any repair work on your faucets is to turn off the water. If not you could have water spraying everywhere making a giant mess to clean.
Plugged sinks or toilets
One thing that you should always have in your bathroom is a plunger. The reason is that if a toilet overflows it can damage the floors. If the clog is not released by plunging and the toilet is not working, you may have to call a plumber to fix the problem. If you find a clogged shower drain or sink it is often caused by clumps of hair that build up in the drain so make sure you occasionally remove it. There are also little nets that look like a stopper that you can put over the drains to catch the hair.
Dripping faucets
If you leave a faucet dripping for too long you may start to have water running from the tap instead of just dripping. If it happens to be the faucet with hot water, you have extra added to your utility bill along with fixing the faucet. It takes energy to heat the water. Generally, a dripping faucet is just replacing the washer that has worn out in the faucet. All you have to do is replace them. When the washers wear out the water can get through the edges that are worn, causing leaks, or drips. There are many varieties of washers for your sink faucets so if you have not replaced this washer before you should remove the one that is old and take it to the plumbing store to get the right washer. Some of the different washers that you can find include modular, cartridge, and ball spring types. You can also find a combination of stem/washer/seat/ washers.
Leaky pipes
When there are leaks in your faucets, it normally leaks from the faucet handle’s base. If this is what is happening the faucet’s rubber o-ring or metal nuts may need to be replaced. It may also make the sink parts last longer. Another common residential plumbing problem is leaks that occur in the pipes. If the leak is at the joint of the pipe, it may help to tighten the pipes. If this does not help, you may need a new gasket or new sealant.
