Uncommon Fixes to Common Plumbing Issues
Have you ever wondered why some seemingly simple things are the BIGGEST pain when it comes to your home?
You’ve definitely thought this if you’ve ever had to battle a simple household issue, TIME AND TIME AGAIN! It’s frustrating…but a little education goes a long way.
Keep reading and you’ll see some of the most un-thought-of fixes to some of the most obnoxious household problems.
It would be a disservice not to mention, though, that if you’re EVER in doubt, call a professional!! If there’s any risk of you making the problem worse…you don’t want to be that angry at yourself later!
Let’s start with a look at some of the MOST common issues that come up in homes…
5 Common Home Plumbing Issues You’re Likely to Encounter
- Clogged toilet
- Clogged garbage disposal
- Faulty faucet
- Broken pipes
- Frozen water pipe (oh yeah, the “F” word)
1: Clogged Toilets
Clogged toilets could be your worst nightmare, especially if ALL remedies you’ve tried haven’t worked in your favor.
How do you convince your visitors that you aren’t dirty or untidy when your toilet is clogged? That’s the last thing you want guests to deal with when they come over…
If your perpetually clogged toilet has shrugged off all your solutions, here’s an uncommon solution you could explore:
- Make a paste of half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda. Pour the paste into your toilet bowl.
- Let the paste sit in your toilet bowl for an hour or more.
- Then, boil a kettle of water and flush down the paste with the hot water.
What’s next? Nothing much…just watch as the solution does magic to your malignantly clogged toilet!
EXPERT TIP: Do NOT do this more than once. If this doesn’t resolve your clogged toilet, something serious might be going on behind the scenes…call a plumber.
2: Clogged Garbage Disposal
The garbage disposal is one of your ignored but most essential kitchen features! …Until it gets clogged and starts slowing down your cooking, or worst of all, SMELLING.
Aside from the rule of remembering that not all food items can go in your garbage disposal, there’s also one valuable but surprising solution, should your disposal ever get clogged…
How do you save the day?
- First off, unplug your garbage disposal from the socket
- Next, place a bowl beneath your garbage disposal to collect wastewater
- Then, unscrew these curvy compartments to ensure they’re not clogged (these are the plumbing line and the drain line)
- If you find either to be clogged, wash the pipe clean to clear out the waste
- Finally, tighten the compartments and run water down your sink to ensure that your garbage disposal is fully functional!
3: Faulty Faucet
A faucet can have a number of issues from dripping uncontrollably to getting clogged. If your faucet won’t dispense water due to a clog, you need the service of a plumbing pro to fix it.
However, if you’re faced with a leaky faucet, here’s a quick way to deal with the issue:
- First off, turn off the water supply
- Then, drain the faucet by turning it to the “on” position for a few minutes (with the water supply off, of course)
- Once the faucet is drained of water, you have to check the manufacturer information to know what type of faucet you’re dealing with (if you don’t have the original paperwork, you can google it)
EXPERT TIP: Faucet repair is actually quite similar for all kinds of faucets. You need to prepare to remove the handles and gain access to the stem nut, O-ring, and any other internal parts your faucet might have.
- Last, you need to examine each internal part to ensure it’s not worn or damaged.
- Once you’ve confirmed working parts or replaced one with wear, wipe the parts, re-assemble your faucet, and test it to ensure it’s fully functional!
These 4 Easy Tips for Choosing Faucets will help you minimize issues of faulty faucets with a good selection from the start.
4: Broken Water Pipe
Your house could go from “spick and span” to REALLY messy within minutes…all thanks to a broken pipe.
Hosepipe to the rescue!
To fix your broken pipes, get some hosepipe and jubilee clips…
- The first step is to cut off the water supply
- Then, wrap the hosepipe around the affected area, ensuring that it extends an inch or two beyond the affected area
- Then tighten the hosepipe to the broken pipe using jubilee clips
- Ensure that you have a jubilee clip on the broken area by marking the hosepipe on the region that corresponds with the broken part of the pipe
- Then, test your pipe…
And voila! Water can flow freely yet again.
EXPERT TIP: This might be obvious…but this is a VERY temporary fix! This just saves the day when you have people over and can’t get a plumber in right away. Get online and find your local professional immediately to get your proper fix on the books!
5: Frozen Water Pipe
Have you ever wondered why water wouldn’t flow through one of your pipes even if it’s not broken?
You live in Texas, after all…could a pipe really be frozen?!
You’re not the only one who catches a cold come winter, and your pipes sometimes catch a cold, too—to the extent of getting a frozen blockage that will burst the pipe if unattended!
How do you fix frozen water pipes?
Here’s an uncommon way to fix a frozen pipe…
- The first thing on your list MUST be turning off the water supply
- Then, get a hairdryer and plug it in…ensure it has high horsepower
- Finally, turn on the faucet closest to the frozen area of your pipe—no new water will flow because you shut off the supply, but the water currently in the pipe will be free to move as it melts
- Run your blowing hairdryer along the pipe for about 30 minutes
To skip this time-consuming process altogether, here’s How to Avoid Costly Freeze Problems.
There’s no doubt that you can fix some common home issues yourself, especially if you’re a fan of DIY fixes.
Truth be told, however, some issues are beyond most homeowners…and even those who can “figure it out” won’t do so as quickly, safely, cost-effectively, or professionally as someone with experience.
In each of the cases above, to avoid causing bigger damage, get a pro to handle home issues as soon as you can get on the schedule.
Thinking of getting a holistic home inspection instead of dealing with issues when they come up? Here’s our home inspection checklist…you can use it if you’re moving in or out of a house, or really just as an audit of the state your home is in…and it’s free for you!!
