September 4, 2024
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Tips And Tricks From Your Local Sydney Plumber
Handy Plumbing Tips And Tricks
One of the less enjoyable aspects of home ownership is the continual maintenance required for keeping a home in excellent condition. Hiring a professional plumber for projects and renovations around your house is essentia, especially when it’s a time-sensitive repair. Sewer Surgeon are experienced professionals who do this work every day and maintain strict adherence to the Australian Plumbing Code. So keeping your repairs in check is second nature to us. In saying this, you don’t always need to hire a plumber for every project. Some plumbing projects are definitely DIY and can be handled by most homeowners, which can, and will, result in a well-kept, higher value home over time, and is the key to experiencing a high-value investment.
To save you time, money and headaches down the road, we have collected our favorite tips and tricks for solving common household plumbing problems:
1. Silence Rattling Pipes
Running hot water can cause copper pipes to expand and grind against pipe hangers and joists. The best way to deal with this is to pick up adhesive backed-felt at the hardware store and cut it into strips. Then, remove each hanger and wrap the pipe before refastening the hanger. Affixing more brackets will reduce the amount of noise a pipe makes because of friction and water hammer.
2. Use A Wet/Dry Vacuum To Remove Objects From Your Drain.
When a hard object like a toothbrush, comb or toy falls into the toilet, sink or drain, a plunger may not be the solution as it might only push the obstruction deeper. Instead, suck out the water and the obstruction with a wet vacuum. Make sure to always refill the water in the trap /floor waste to prevent smells from filling the room.
3. Use A Bucket Of Water To Flush The Toilet.
You don’t have to run to the neighbor’s bathroom during a plumbing project. Before you turn off the water supply, fill a bucket with water. Flush the toilet by dumping the water in the bowl. It works just as well as flushing the cistern, although it won’t refill the bowl.
4. Take A Picture Before Closing Up Walls During Renovations.
Your walls may not have much inner beauty, but it’s a good idea to take pictures of what’s inside during renovations. The same goes for floors and ceilings. When your next renovation or repair project rolls around, you’ll know where the framing and the electrical and plumbing lines are. This is also useful if you ever need to hang anything on the wall. Use of a tape measure along the bottom of the wall will help measure distance once closed.
5. Plunge Water First Before Removing The Trap.
Before you remove a sink trap, give the drain a few plunges with a toilet plunger. This will push most of the water out of the trap, lessening the mess when you pull the trap. If you have a double sink, be sure to plug the other drain to contain the air pressure. If the strainer isn’t a screw-down style, you’ll have to hold it down while you plunge into the drain. Use of a wet vac will also work.
6. For Soft Blockage, Fill The Bowl Of The Toilet Pan With Water And Leave Overnight.
If your toilet is blocked up with too much toilet paper, you can fill the bowl of the toilet pan with water and leave overnight. The toilet paper will dissolve over time and can then be easily plunged through your sewer system.