Most of the people living in the western countries are taking the convenience of modern plumbing technologies for granted. Be it a running tap or flushing toilet, it does not come to anyone’s mind as to the changes plumbing has gone through or the history of the technology. Plumbing hardware roughly includes all the equipment that helps in plumbing like hose fittings, pipe fittings, plumbing pipes, tube fittings and valves. Today pipes and fixtures are mostly located underground and the sewage drains and cesspools of ancient times have been almost completely eradicated and replaced. As technology continues to advance, the cleanliness and efficiency of plumbing and toilets have become more efficient and clean.
However, when at home, if some problem arises like leaking faucets, clogged drains and faulty pipes people get anxious to hunt for a plumber. Only a few realise that these petty problems can be tackled at home only and that too without the help of any plumber. Yeah its very much true. All you need is your plumbing tools and some patience ensure the blueprint for sparkling success. Routine plumbing problems in the house does not necessarily explicate harbinger of doom. Here’s how you can go about conducting minor repairs yourself without disastrous results.
- Make sure you are equipped with all the plumbing tools before you embark upon the task of repair work. After making a bee line to the nearest plumbing supplies store, pick basic tools like an auger, a plunger, a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, pipe wrenches, slip-joint and needle nose pliers, compression nuts and rings and faucet seats.
- Getting familiar with the location and functioning of the shut-off valve of every fixture and main shut-off valves in the house is extremely crucial. Make sure to turn off the water supply before beginning with the repair work.
- If the problem is in a particular fixture, then you can close the valve of that fixture only. The valve is generally located at the beneath the fixture and you can slow it by turning it clockwise. In case the fixture does not have a valve of its own, then close the main shut-off valve in the house.
- If there is a leaky faucet, then get on the root of it by taking off the faucet with a screwdriver. Then take off the screw cap that secures the stem, with an adjustable wrench. Make sure you do this with patience and precision to avoid any damage.
- In some of the faucets, one needs to replace the washer in order to stop the leak. While in some washer less faucets the cause of leakage can be the ‘O’ rings.