Handy Plumbing Tips and Tricks

Your plumbing system can be the source of a major headache. However, these handy plumbing tips and tricks could help you prevent and repair plumbing problems. If all else fails, you can always call your local plumber.

Fix Your Kitchen Sink Sprayer with Pipe Insulation

Is your kitchen sink sprayer being difficult? If the sprayer gets snagged as you pull it out of its housing, the problem is likely to be the hose getting caught on the shut-off valves. To fix this, place foam pipe insulation on the pipes and the shut-off handles. You should be able to pull it out with ease.

Quiet Pipes with Felt

At night, creaking pipes could prevent you from falling asleep. Typically, the issue is caused by hot water that makes copper pipes expand. As they get bigger, they grind against joists and pipe hangers. But this issue also comes with a simple solution. 

When you’re at the local home improvement store, buy adhesive-backed felt from the hardware store. Then, cut it into strips. Remove each hanger and wrap the pipe with the strips before replacing the hanger.

Make Loud Sinks Quiet with Expanding Foam

If your sink is making too much noise, you can silence it with expanding foam. All you need to do is fill the space between two sink basins with the foam. The foam absorbs vibrations, which limits the sounds made by your sink.

Although you can do this after you already have a sink, it’s much easier to do before your sink is installed. In any case, you should allow the foam to get hard before trying to cut away the excess.

Flush a Non-Working Toilet with a Bucket

You don’t need a working toilet to flush, but you do need a bucket. The next time you’re working on a plumbing project and don’t have a running toilet, fill a large bucket with water. Atwo-gallonn bucket should suffice.

When you’re ready to empty the toilet, pour the water in the bowl and flush. Keep in mind that the bucket will only give you one flush, and the bowl will not refill until you turn the water back on.

Use a Shop Vac to Unclog Your Drain

Kids do the darndest things, and they can wreak havoc on your plumbing. The next time your child sticks a hard object in the drain, pull out the shop vac. You might be able to get the object up and out of your toilet or drain. 

Find Hidden Pipes with a Magnet

This tip is for DIYers who want to find pipes under their floors. When you attach a rare earth magnet to electrical tape, you can use it to locate your pipes. Snake it through the drains via the cleanout plug. Then, use a compass to find the magnet under your floors. The compass should turn erratically when it’s over the magnet.

Don’t Be Afraid to Call a Plumber

One of the best tips is to not be scared of calling one of the highly rated and experienced plumbers in your area. If you aren’t sure how to fix something or you suspect an issue, you should look for a reputable plumber and have them assess the situation.

Plumbing systems are much more complex than you might imagine. While you might know how to make some simple repairs, it takes a person with knowledge and skill to make most repairs. Whenever you’re in doubt, call a professional. With the median selling price of a single-family home in Los Angeles at $627,690 for August of 2019, your home is valuable property. You deserve to have your home’s plumbing treated with care.