10 Plumbing Tips You Need To Know

10 Plumbing Tips You Need To Know

1. Know the location of your shut off valve.
2. Don’t puncture pipes during DIY.
3. Learn what is Flushable
4. Have a Plunger
5. Have a wet n dry vacuum
6. Don’t ignore leaks
7. Don’t overtighten fittings
8. Try a bit of Plumbers tape
9. Always check for Leaks
10. Know a good Plumber

Locate your home’s water shut-off valve. 

Before moving into a new home, note the location of the main shut-off valve and drain (in some cases, the shut-off valve will be located outside the house

Don’t puncture pipes during DIY

Are you planning to drill holes or pound nails into your walls, floors, or ceiling? First, determine if there are any supply or drainage pipes behind your work area since you don’t want to accidentally puncture them.

Learn whats flushable

since flushing, anything except toilet paper leads to nasty clogs, leading some help from the plumber

Invest in a good plunger

Invest in a high-quality plunger to help clear toilets, sinks, and drains. If you’re planning to clean sink traps, use a plunger to push most of the water out before removing the trap. pick up at local plumbing supplies

Have a wet n dry vacuum

When you’re trying to dislodge a clog caused by a small, hard object (like a child’s toy, toothbrush, or comb), rely on a wet-dry vacuum. It’s more effective to suck the object out. A plunger will only push it deeper into the drain, making it more difficult to remove.

Don’t ignore Leaks

That steady drip, drip, drip of a fixture symbolizes money going down the drain. A leaky faucet typically wastes up to eight gallons of water per day, while a running toilet can waste 200 gallons per day

Don’t overtighten fittings

A common DIY plumbing mistake is over-tightening fittings and connections, which leads to broken bolts and stripped screws. Remember this adage: “hand-tight is just right.”

Try a bit of Plumbers Tape

Pick up a bit of Plumber tape, Plumber’s tape (also called Teflon tape) is used to seal pipe threads to prevent leaks around joints and fittings. You should typically wrap the plumber’s tape three times around the pipe threads before sealing. Also, note that white tape is designed for common household plumbing projects

Always check for Leaks
After every plumbing project, check for leaks by running water through the system, then opening and closing all valves and drains.

Know a good Local Plumber

Keep the number handy of a Local Plumber
The tips above are guides for those small simple jobs that might help. But some jobs are best left to the professional plumber as they will have the tools, experience to fittings to do the job properly.

Plumber Tips

Cutting copper pipe

The important thing to remember before cutting pipes is to plan. Have you considered ensuring that earth bonding continuity will not be broken? Is the water disconnected? Where are the pipes to be positioned? Do I have all the equipment and materials to finish the job? Is there anywhere I can get extra material from should the need arise?

Measuring the pipe

Copper is a relatively soft material which can easily be cut with a hacksaw.

When measuring the position of a cut, make sure you allow enough for the pipe to sit fully into the joint. If you look inside fittings, you will generally see a slight ring where the inserted pipe will butt up to. If you’re not sure, try pushing a piece of pipe into a fitting until it is fully home, then mark the pipe with a pencil at the end of the fitting. When you withdraw the pipe you can measure the extra length from the mark to the end of the pipe.

Marking and cutting the pipe square

Mark the pipe where it needs to be cut. It is important to cut it square. Since hacksaws tend to wander, the best answer is to use a paper guide. Take a piece of paper with a straight edge and wrap it round the pipe at the mark. By wrapping it around on itself, it should automatically form a straight guide which is square to the pipe. Hold it in place and make your cut alongside it.

Cutting copper with a pipe cutter

Better still, use a pipe cutter. This consists of a cutting wheel in an adjustable grip with rollers mounted opposite. The cutter can be unwound to fit over the pipe then screwed back up so that the wheel sits against the mark. The tool can then be revolved around the pipe, tightening it after each turn. As the tool is tightened and revolved, the wheel cuts through the pipe at right angles.

Once the cut has been made, clean off any burrs (pieces sticking out) with a small file or emery paper.

Call a Professional Plumber

If your not sure about any home plumbing then leave it to our professional Plymouth Plumbing team at My Plumber Plymouth.