Solving Common Plumbing Problems On Your Own

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Plumbing issues are among the most commonly faced problems for homeowners. While major problems should always be left to a professional to solve, it may be possible to save some money by attending to minor ones on your own. If you would like to improve your DIY plumbing repair skills, read on. This article will discuss how to correct three basic yet frustrating home plumbing problems.

Kitchen Sink

The problem: sprayer hose constantly becomes snagged beneath the sink.

Once you own a sink with a sprayer hose, it's hard to go back, thanks to how easy they make cleanup. Yet sprayer hoses are often subject to an annoying--if relatively minor--problem: becoming caught on the water supply shut off valves underneath the sink. Getting the hose loose often requires a frustrating amount of jiggling and jerking.

Fortunately, you can eliminate this issue for good with little more than some foam pipe insulation. Be sure to get the kind that is slit along its length. Just slide a length of this foam over the beneath-sink pipes, being sure to fold it open to include the shut off valves. This smooth surface presented by the foam will keep the sprayer hose from ever getting stuck again.

Hot Water Pipes

The problem: pipes creak, crack, and pop when running the hot water.

Copper hot water pipes commonly exhibit this frustrating problem, as the water's heat causes the metal to expand. This expansion in turn leads to the pipes rubbing up against the metal hangers that hold them in place. Such friction is the source of all those aggravating sounds. The good news is that the solution to this problem is also inexpensive--if a little more labor intensive.

What you'll need here is a packaged of felt weather stripping, preferably the kind with adhesive on the back. The solution then involves using a screwdriver or drill to remove your metal pipe hangers, wrapping a piece of felt around the pipe, and then attaching the hanger once more. The weather-stripping will act to cushion and silence the pipe while still allowing it to expand.

Kitchen Sink

The problem: stainless steel sink produces loud reverberant sounds.

This problem, which has to do with vibration in the metal, is much more common for those whose kitchen are equipped with side by side stainless steel sink basins. Again, the solution is both simple and inexpensive. Simply use a can of expansive spray foam to fill in the gap between the two basins. Once hardened, the foam will successfully act to absorb vibrations and prevent those annoying reverberations.

Check out sites like http://www.bishopplumbing.com for more information.

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17 May 2017

A New Kind of Piping Makes DIY Plumbing Easier

My homes have always had either copper or PVC plumbing pipes. But when my plumbing system needed an overhaul last spring, I wanted a piping system for my home that I could work on myself when needed. There were a lot of good reasons to choose PEX piping, but my favorite thing about the PEX piping is that it's easy to work with, even if you're a beginner like me. Now I can make small repairs myself instead of calling the plumber every time I have a minor leak or other small problem. I still call the plumber for the big stuff, but it's more affordable now that I can take care of small issues myself. I started this blog to help others learn how they, too, can do DIY plumbing repairs at home.