Don’t Get Flushed by Plumbing Problems

There are several plumbing problems that the do-it-yourselfer can fix with little effort and a lot less money than calling a plumber. Remember the DIY motto is to only call for professional help when absolutely necessary. Now there is nothing wrong with hiring a professional because we cannot possibly do every project ourselves but there are many projects that we can do.

Some common plumbing problems include problems with the hot water, problems with the toilet, and problems with drainage in the sink of tubs. With hot water sometimes you may find that there is not enough hot water. This is especially true for larger families. A common cause for this may be that the thermostat on the water heater may be set too low. A fix for this is to adjust the water heater thermostat upwards. This will allow less hot water to be used to still get the temperature that everyone wants.

A common toilet problem is when the toilet does not flush completely. This of course is evidenced by remnants remaining in the bowl after the toilet is flushed. The most common cause is that the ball in the tank is not being lifted high enough. The solution is to adjust the lift mechanism so that it lifts the ball higher in the tank.

A common sink drainage problem is the grease clog. In the case of clogs, the best thing to do is to try to prevent them in the first place. A good way to prevent grease clogs is to pour about a half gallon of boiling water down the drain every other day. However if you already have a grease clog, try pouring some hot vinegar down the drain and letting is set for about 20 minutes and then follow it with boiling water after the 20 minute vinegar soak.

Plumbing problems are one of the top reasons that professional help is sought. However, many of the plumbing problems that you will face can be solved as a DIY project. So make sure that you determine that you are not equipped to solve the problem before you call the plumber.

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