Archive for September, 2010
How To Prevent Plumbing Problems In The Future
How To Prevent Plumbing Problems In The Future
Are you tired of wasting your time and energy solving your home’s plumbing system problems? Well, if you find yourself in such a situation, then you need to get in touch with a licensed plumber as soon as possible. However, if you have not faced any plumbing related problems yet, then do not wait till these problems catch up with you. There are plenty of things that you can do in order to avoid plumbing related problems in your home.
One of the most basic things that you can do in order to avoid plumbing problems is to make sure that you drain the hot water heater every now and then. One of the most common plumbing problems in households is the growth of sediments in the water heater over time. Sediments start to build up just after the hot water heater installation. A typical homeowner does not draining the water heater periodically. However, by draining it on a regular basis you would ensure that there are no accumulated sediments and save yourself from a very common plumbing headache.
Another very important thing which you can do is simply keep a check on the pipes and make sure that there is no leakage. Many plumbing problems are a result of a leakage in one of the pipes in the house. Keeping a check on the pipes on a regular basis also means that you would be able to repair the pipe in case you come across a leakage. This could be as simple as checking the fittings to make sure they are securely tightened.
Many homeowners, especially in the United States, follow most of the above suggestions and therefore, avoid situations where they have to worry and fret over plumbing issues.
Top 10 Plumbing Tools
Top 10 Plumbing Tools
The drum auger, also known as sink auger, drum auger or canister auger comes in handy when dealing with clogged drain repairs. The cup plunger is a must have and a very common plumbing tool in any home. It is shaped in a rubber cup form with a wooden handle and helps with unclogging showers, tubs and sinks.
The faucet valve seat wrench for typical compression faucets are the oldest styled faucets and least expensive. The faucet valve seat wrench comes handy in grabbing a nylon or rubber washer opposite a valve seat in faucet bodies. Teflon tape technically known as PTFE (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene) is a silky textured, strong tensioned tape breaks in a stringy style preventing leakages at threaded water line links, plumbing links, sealing pipe threading and shower heads. Teflon tape is typically white in color. The closet auger consists of a hand crank, a lengthy sleeve grip, and a strong auger bit at the end. A flexible shaft connects the auger bit to the crank handle, reaching about 3 feet. This tool will help with any stubborn clogs in the toilet drain line.
The flange plunger is a special shaped ball plunger comes in real handy in clearing congested toilets by applying vacuum and water force. Unlike a standard goblet shaped plunger used in tubs and sinks, this tool’s unique silhouette shuts the gap at the floor of a toilet bowl. A faucet valve reseating tool, also called the valve seat grinder or dresser, aides in smoothing out the valve seat of the faucet. The tube cutter is an ideal tool when working with copper pipes for smooth, well fixed joints. The adjustable pipe wrench, a quintessential plumbing tool, this provides incredible force and grip. The wrench tightens around pipes by jabbing its spiky saw–like teeth into the pipe with the pressure increasing on turning the wrench. Faucet packing and washers/compression faucets are still old fashioned with nylon/rubber washers with sealed faucet stems. Newer models come with rubber washer or O–rings for the stem–retaining nut.
A homeowner will usually have most, if not all, of these tools in their arsenal. These plumbing tools will make dealing with plumbing problems much easier for either a homeowner or professional plumbing contractors.
Tips For Unclogging A Sink Drain
Tips For Unclogging A Sink Drain
A general issue faced by homeowners on a regular basis is a clogged sink. However, with the following tips, it will no longer be a Herculean task. First, check the kind of drain that is being used (i.e. – metal J–Trap kind or a PVC kind of tubing). Generally a J–Trap would create a 180 degree bend in the tubing causing a water clog between the sink and the remaining drain system of the house.
Next proceed to detach the drain stopper, which is normally done by lifting it up after turning it right or left to 90 degrees. Also, don’t forget to disconnect the pivot rod beneath the sink below the drain’s tail pipe. Now if the J–Trap is connected with couplings, it can be unscrewed either with your hands or with channel pliers, in case of tight ones, not to forget to put a bucket below the J–Trap to catch the stranded water. Having removed the couplings, now all you got to do is to slither down the J–Trap off the sink’s drain sleeve away from the rest of the house’s drain system.
After having emptied the contents of the J-Trap into the bucket, you can now remove the semi solid and solid culprits that were the reason for the clogged drain. Finally, using a brush or rag, thoroughly scrub the J-Trap. After taking these steps, you will have a free flowing sink drain.