Learn How to Do your Own Plumbing with these Simple Tips

Fix some of those plumbing issues by following our easy tips from the experts!

All houses have their problems and when such a problem occurs you have to choose whether you want to call a professional or handle it yourself. In many cases people choose to fix things on their own and this also applies to plumbing. Things like fixing a leaking pipe, fixing your water heater, or even winterizing your pipes for winter are some things that can be handled by yourself if you have some basic handyman knowledge.

However, in such situations things might go wrong if you are not careful enough. That is why we have come up with some simple steps that should guarantee you success as an amateur plumber. Following these steps to the letter could save you a lot of money and time looking for the best plumbers to do the job.

Learn How to Use Tape

Tape can become a useful tool for plumbing, but you should know which kind of tape and how to use it. For example, it is not recommended to use it for anything other than pipe threads. Make sure that you get the thicker tape since it is easier to use.

When it comes to wrapping the tape around the pipe you should know that there isn’t a rule when it comes to how many times you should do that, but many plumbers admitted that they do it three times. Also, when you wrap the tape around the threads make sure that you do it clockwise.

Use thread Sealant for Everything

As the name suggests, thread sealant (pipe dope) is used to seal the threads. However, you can use it for more than that, and it works with almost any connections since it allows them to slide together correctly. You can dope ground fittings, rubber seals and compression fittings. What’s important to remember when using thread sealant is to use the correct one for the specific task. Thread sealants have varying widths, thickness, and density and if you use the incorrect one, you won’t be properly sealing the pipe gaps.

Use Heat to Loosen Stuck Pipes

Stuck pipes are one of the most common issues. If they don’t budge no matter what you try, you should use heat. This is a solution that works most of the time, especially in those cases where pipe dope was used to seal.

Using heat might take a while, and you should wait a couple of minutes until the metal gets hot. Obviously, do not try this on fuel or gas lines, and only use it on waste or water pipes. You may also need to use a penetrating lubricant if the cause of the problem is mineral deposits that have accumulated over time. You must apply the lubricant and let it sit for at least two hours before scrubbing it off with a metal wire brush. If it still doesn’t work, you need to use heat, lubricant, scrubbing, and tapping at a specific period.

Supply lines – don’t overtighten them and do not try to reuse them

There are certain things a plumber should know about supply lines. First of all, you might think that if the lines are very tight then they will be more secure. However, it is even riskier than you would believe. By overtightening you might wreck the seals. Therefore, make the connections finger-tight and then you can go for another one-eighth to one-quarter turn.

Also, do no try to use again old supply. Once a supply line has been used, it is not wise to try and use it one more time. As you may already know, supply lines do degrade over time so you will put everything at risk if you decide to use them.

Remember, if you finally realize that plumbing is not really your thing you can always call a professional. There are plenty of plumbers with experience that would be willing to help you such as Plumbing Service on the Gold Coast

Some people believe doing it themselves will save them a lot of money. That may be true, so before beginning the assignment, you should ensure that you have all the necessary expertise. Because if you don’t, you’ll eventually incur higher costs if you do it the wrong way. Worse is, you could void your home insurance if the insurance company discovers you handled the work yourself and messed it up, rather than hiring professionals. That’s why, if you live in Texas, contact the best plumber in Fort Worth to do the job efficiently.