Home Plumbing Projects You Can Handle on Your Own

Posted on March 25, 2015 by resourcefulman

Plumbing projects may seem a little daunting at first, but they really aren’t. Here are eight common plumbing repairs and replacements you can do yourself without any previous experience.

We used to talk about home electrical projects that you can tackle on your own, but now it’s time to tackle the plumbing. The projects we look at here are mainly related to repairing things like working toilets and leaking taps, and replacing fixtures like faucets and shower heads. These are beginner projects that are fairly easy to implement and can save you a lot of money if you take on them yourself.

First, know what you can handle and when to seek help.

The projects we’ve outlined here are particularly straightforward, but plumbing can be tricky, so if you’re ever unsure, don’t be afraid to ask for help. All of these projects are pretty simple, but you never know what will happen, especially with old houses. We’ve picked a few pretty good videos, but we’ll do a little research and find other videos in case things look a little different in your setup. The internet is a wonderful thing.

If you have questions about what parts to buy for your fixtures, people at your home improvement store are likely to find the answer for you. Come with the make and model of your fixture and, even better, some photos. They will point you in the right direction. And if at some point you feel uncomfortable, call a plumber. Even if you think you have the skills to get the job done, codes may be involved and you often need permission.

Disconnect the water supply

Before you start participating in most plumbing projects, you need to shut off the water supply to what you are working on. In most cases, there are valves or compression valves that are readily accessible and can be turned by hand. Turn them fully clockwise to turn off the water and counterclockwise to turn it back on when you’re done. For sinks, look under the sink and you’ll usually see two valves – one for hot water and one for cold water. In kitchen sinks, you can also see icemaker valves on the refrigerator or dishwasher. Just turn them all off. In toilets, the valves are located on the wall or directly on the pipe behind the toilet.

If you cannot find or cannot access the isolation valve for the fixture, you will need to turn off the main water supply. This is often the case with bathtubs and showers where the plumbing is inside the wall. You can find the access panel on the wall behind the lights, but most of the time it doesn’t.

Finding a main water supply cut off can be tricky. Sometimes a main shut-off valve can be found in the house; sometimes you need to turn it off outside. Watch thevideo above from Mr. Ruther for an idea of the locations and types of isolation valves you will come across.

After you have closed the valves, turn on the water in the fixture to make sure you turn off everything you need.

Get the right tools

Having the right tools can mean the difference between a quick project and a complete mess. Luckily, you don’t need too much to complete your projects, and everything you need is fairly inexpensive (cheaper than hiring a plumber, of course). You can get everything from this list for about $ 100, and you won’t need all of these unless you complete all projects. Where I live, that’s roughly the cost of hiring a plumber per hour.

The tools and supplies you are most likely to need, in addition to the usual ones such as screwdrivers and special replacement parts for whatever attachment you work with, include:

Plumbing or pipe wrench . You may be able to get by with a large crescent wrench or a pair of vices, but a plumber’s wrench is better. It opens a little wider and grips a little better. The wrench teeth are designed to grip in the direction you turn it. You can buy it for about $ 10.
Pelvic key . If you replace the faucet (especially the sink faucet), you may bump into nuts in some rather hard-to-reach places. The sink wrench has an adjustable angle head design that allows you to hit them from the bottom. It should cost you less than $ 20.
Seatpost wrench . Typically, the seat wrench is only needed when replacing certain types of bath or sink faucets. It should cost you less than $ 10.
Water meter key . You will only need one of them if you need to turn off the water supply at the water meter. You might be able to get by with a couple of vices, but the wrench makes it much faster. Plus, it means you can quickly turn off the water in an emergency. A good one should cost less than $ 20.
Drain the snake . This is a simpler, shorter version of the large gas snake that plumbers use to clear blockages from your wastewater. But if the blockage isn’t that deep, owning one can save you a lot of money. They come in a variety of lengths and you can buy powered versions, but a simple 25-foot hand-powered snake will set you back under $ 25.
Plumbing putty . This putty is air dry and does not stick to your fingers, so it is easy to apply with your hands. It’s great for sealing joints, such as between a sink and a sink, for less than $ 7. It also lasts a long time if you keep the container closed.
Teflon tape . You will use this tape to wrap the threads on the ends of the pipe fittings to provide additional protection against leakage. It will set you back less than $ 5 a roll, which is enough for many projects.

Install a new shower head

Let’s start with the simplest project: installing a new shower head is very easy. Typically all you have to do is unscrew the old shower head from the shower holder (pipe coming out of the wall), clean the threads on the shower holder and wrap it with some Teflon tape, then screw on the new one. shower head. It’s really that simple (and if you don’t believe me,check out the video at Dummies.com above ). However, be sure to read the installation instructions on the shower head you buy. Some do not require Teflon tape and may leak when used.

In addition, you may run into the problem of the shower head being too short or too steep compared to the shower head you purchased. This can happen more often with wand type showers and the wall gets in the way of the shower head. You can solve this problem by purchasing an appropriate shower head or by installing an extension cord on the main shower arm. You can find them where you buy your shower heads.

Eliminating a Leaking or Leaking Single Handle Basin Faucet

Faucets may leak from its handles or drip from the water spout. Both types of leaks are caused by problems in the faucet handle. Usually, single handle faucets can be found on the kitchen sink, but you can also find them in bathrooms. They work using one of three mechanisms:

Swivel ball valve . In this type, the slotted ball rests on a spring loaded seal. When the valve is off, the ball is pressed firmly against the seals. The ball, gaskets, seals, and springs can wear out causing water to leak from the faucet.
Cartridge . In this type, one replaceable cartridge controls the water flow. There are also washers or o-rings above and below the cartridge to ensure a good seal and protect the cartridge from wear.
Ceramic disc . In this type of mixer, the upper movable ceramic disc moves along the lower stationary disc. The movement of the two discs opens or closes the line, controlling the flow of water.

The video above from Lowe’s shows how to fix leaks in all three types of single handle faucets. Basically, you are going to remove the handle, pull out the mechanism and replace it or the surrounding seals. If you can determine which part is causing the problem, you can buy each part separately. Otherwise, you can buy a faucet repair kit for that type of faucet and replace all at once. Neither option should be very expensive.

Eliminating a Leaking or Leaking Double Handle Basin Faucet

Two-handle faucets are most commonly found in the bathroom, but you can find them in some kitchens. Three types of mechanisms are used in faucets with two handles. The first two are similar to the two mechanisms used in a single handle mixer: cartridge and ceramic disc. The third type is a compression (or reverse compression) mechanism. Compression mixers are the simplest type that uses rubber washers that are pressed against each other to seal the valve. They tend to wear out faster than other types of faucets, but are also cheaper to repair.

The video above from Lowe’s shows how to fix leaks in all types of double handle faucets. The process is much the same as repairing a one-hand mixer. Remove the handle, take out the mechanism and replace the parts that need to be replaced (or buy a replacement kit).

Fix a Leaking or Dripping Bath Faucet

Bath faucets can be single or double handle and can use any of the types of mechanisms used in basin faucets. If you have a classic two-handle design where faucets are attached to a bathtub or wall, chances are you have a simple squeeze faucet.

Watch the Keyspire video above to learn how to fix leaks in a compression bath mixer. The reason this is slightly different from replacing a compression basin faucet is because with a bathtub, it is more likely that the valve seats will need to be replaced as well. This video shows you how to do it.

Replacing or installing a basin mixer

If you are thinking of replacing your faucet because it is dripping, consider trying to get it repaired first. If you just want to take that old nasty thing out of there and replace it with a shiny new one, don’t be afraid to go for it. Replacing a sink faucet, in the kitchen or bathroom, is easier than you think.

The first step is figuring out which mixer to buy. You will need to match the faucet with the number of holes in the sink:

For a single-hole sink, one faucet comes out of a single hole in the sink. Usually there is no deck (the plate is at the bottom of the taps).
The sink with two holes has one hole for a single tap and a second hole for an accessory such as a soap dispenser.
The 3-hole basin has one spout hole and two tap holes. However, you can see a three-hole sink that only has one faucet with one handle, and a deck that covers the other two holes. This is the most common type in bathrooms.
A 4-hole sink has one spout hole, two faucet handle holes, and a fourth hole for a soap dispenser or spray bottle. Again, you might have a single handle faucet, but you have a four-hole sink. These are the most common types in kitchens.

The easiest way to determine what type you are is to look under the sink. You will see the number of holes on the bottom.

In fact, we have our own guide on thisoccasion , butthe above video from Lowe’s also a good basic guide. Be sure to read the installation instructions that came with the faucet. Sometimes there are important variations. We only included a video on kitchen sinks here because the process of installing a sink in a bathroom is much the same. However, you can always watchthis video from RONAinc if you want to see the process.

Running toilet repair

The toilets are pretty basic. When enough water is quickly poured into the toilet, the weight of the water and the shape of the drain (siphon) will make the toilet flush. You can flush the toilet by simply pouring a bucket of water into the toilet.

The tank and all the parts inside are such that you don’t need to use a bucket:

The reservoir stores water.
Connected to the water supply is a filling valve that controls how water enters the tank, how water stops entering the tank when there is enough (filler float), and where excess water goes (overflow pipe) when what stops the water is not working.
A flush valve (or flap) controls the discharge of water from the tank into the bowl. Its job is to open completely so that enough water is drained out quickly (too slowly and the toilet does not flush), and then close so that no water can flow into the toilet.

You can have all of these parts individually in your closet, or they can be part of a single design, but they are all in every toilet. In the vast majority of cases, when you hear the toilet work, although it shouldn’t, it boils down to one of three problems:

The flush valve does not close completely and allows water to flow into the toilet. Then the reservoir must be topped up from time to time.
The water in the tank is too high and overflows through the overflow pipe. The toilet is constantly refilling itself because it thinks there is not enough water in it, when in fact it is not.
There is a problem with the flush valve and needs to be replaced.

Watch thevideo above from Master Jeff Patterson to learn how to solve all three problems.

Adjust the latch of the slide-out sink to keep water in the sink

If your bathroom sink drains slowly instead of retaining water, your problem is very easy to fix. Chances are, you just need to quickly adjust the under-sink assembly. Retractable drains have a stem that goes down and connects to a small stem. This rod goes through the drain pipe and is held in place by a metal strip with holes in it. This strip, in turn, is associated with a small lever or handle that you pull to open and close the stopper.The video above from HomeAdditionPlus shows how to make changes.

Clear a clogged bath drain

Clogged drains are not fun. We’ve shown you a few ways to clear a clogged drain and how to clean a clogged P-siphon under a sink, but draining in a tub can be a little tricky. Much more hair and other debris runs down them than you think. Add to that the fact that most bathroom drains rotate 90 degrees, making it difficult for a drain snake to fall into.

To properly clean the bath drain, you need to remove the drain plate. It is a small round plate that has a lever to open and close the slide-out drain plug. It takes a little effort, but it’s not too difficult to remove, and behind this plate you have access to a straight drain pipe through which you can send the drain snake down. Watch thevideo above from this old house for instructions.

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