Simple and Easy Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips
When it comes to plumbing issues, many renters and homeowners don’t think twice. It’s simply pick up the phone and call the most trusted name in Raleigh area plumbers, Poole’s Plumbing. We certainly agree with your choice of plumber…especially in a situation which calls for our help! However, becoming the “most trusted” plumber around is a name that we earned and take very seriously! Thus, we would like to share some pointers for situations where you could easily take care of the issues at hand. Therefore, here are eight easy, Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips that if following the directions below, you should be able to tackle yourself.
Do It Yourself Plumbing Tips to Silence the “Noises and Creaks”
We have all heard them. A strange creak that at first, we are unaware of its source. Well, one of the sources of those “creaks,” we can tell you is plumbing related. The good news is, not only is it an easy fix but with our Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips, you will be able to silence that creak in no time!
The noises and creaks you hear may be coming from your copper plumbing pipes.
Silencing the Pipes
To first explain, the “creaking” comes from hot water running through copper pipes. This causes the copper to expand and when it does, the pipe grinds against the pipe hangers and joists. The easy Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips to rectify this problem are as follows.
First, get some adhesive-backed felt at a nearby hardware store. Next, you cut that felt into strips. Once strips are ready, wrap them around the “noisy pipe.” In the meantime, you will want to remove each pipe hanger and wrap the pipe with the felt tape. Finally, once wrapped, you can refasten the hanger….and you can say goodbye to the unwanted creaky sounds!
Keeping Your Sink Quiet
Yet another “noisy” plumbing issue is one that occurs and originates underneath your two-basin stainless steel sink. As anyone can attest to with this type of sink, there can be the issue of somewhat loud vibrations and the “gong” effect. Not to worry though, as this also is an issue that should be no problem for you with our Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips. Basically with this issue, you will only need a can of expanding foam.
Once you have the foam, you will use it to fill the space between the two sides of your stainless steel sink basins. You can do this when the sink has already been installed, but the procedure is a bit easier to do if you “do the filling” before installation. Once you allow the foam to harden, then trim away any excess with a knife. By filling the space, the foam works once expanded to deaden the vibrations, while it absorbs and lessens the “gong” like sound also.
One way to avoid unwanted noise is to put expanding foam between the two bays of your stainless steel sink.
More Tips to Help “Drain, Flush, and Empty” a Situation
Whether it’s your toilet, sink, a trap or pipes, if there is a clog or an obstruction, your end goal is the same. Clear it through. Again, as stated above with the “noisy” issues, there are certainly times when a clog is going to warrant a call to the pros at Poole’s Plumbing. However, in the three following situations, you will be able to take these Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips to literally “clear” the issues up yourself!
Vacuum that Toilet
As already discussed, any type of obstruction in your pipes, whether the sink, toilet, or anywhere in your home, could lead to a major plumbing problem. Almost by instinct in these cases, we always reach for the plunger first, to try and knock loose and clear the clog. But, in the case that the plunger can not clear it through, there is a good chance you are looking at a more solid or hard object that is causing the problem. In actuality, without realizing it the plunging may push this type object deeper than it was at first.
Once again, this is no reason to fret though, as all you need in many cases is a wet/dry shop vacuum. Start by sucking any water out of the area with the obstruction. Then go in deeper and many times you will find whatever object is stuck will be sucked out by the power of the vacuum.
Several of our Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips involve ways of approaching toilet issues that you may not have thought of before.
Plunge the Trap for Less of a Mess
The curved pipe located under your sink is commonly known as the “sink trap.”Over time, the traps can get plugged up with soap, hair, and other debris. This could lead to a huge mess if allowed to get out of hand and left unattended. Regardless of whether you are just emptying the trap or changing it, this is going to be a somewhat messy job. With another of our helpful Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips, you can at very least, lessen the mess, though.
Once again, the advice here will have you utilize a common item in the home, a plunger. Simply give your drain a few plunges before pulling the trap. This will at least remove any water from the trap, which will immediately make the job a bit less messy. Do remember, however, if you have a two-sided sink, cover/plug the other drain to contain the air pressure while you plunge.
The “Flush Bucket”
The final of our Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips is one that would more than likely take place when you are already having a plumbing project take place. To put the situation into perspective, let’s say that you have the Raleigh professionals from Poole’s Plumbing set to work on your toilet. So, you would turn off the water supply before they begin their work. This would create a situation where you can not use the toilet, as there would be no water in which to flush it, right?
Well, not necessarily, as with the next of our Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips, you can still get a few uses from your toilet even in this spot. All you need to do is before shutting off the water supply, fill several two-gallon buckets with water. This way, you can flush the toilet by dumping the water into the bowl. While it won’t refill after the flush, this will still work just the same for the one flush that you would need.
The most trusted name in Raleigh area plumbing, Poole’s Plumbing is always the top choice for your plumbing emergency or project. However, the relationship we have built and trust we’ve earned over the past twenty years with our customers is how we became that way. That being said, we are always happy to come out and fix any plumbing issues you may have. But, if we can save you the headache and some money with these Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips, then we are equally as happy to pass along our knowledge.
