| As a homeowner, you are sure to encounter a | | | | in the drain pipes. If you see water rising after you've |
| plumbing problem at one time or another. The most | | | | flushed the toilet instead of going down, immediately |
| common plumbing problems occur in either the | | | | turn off the water supply to the toilet to stop it |
| kitchen or the bathroom near sinks and drains. Luckily, | | | | from overflowing. Next use a plunger to unblock it. A |
| the most common concerns are also the easiest to | | | | wire snake may be required in some instances. You |
| repair. I've listed some do-it-yourself repair tips to | | | | would use the snake the same way you would in a |
| help you get through some of what's sure to be a | | | | sink. |
| problem during the life of your home-ownership. | | | | Leaking Faucet |
| Clogged Sink | | | | Leaky faucets are generally caused by corroded |
| Clogged sinks are usually caused by a blockage of | | | | valves or worn washers. Replacing worn washers |
| food or grease in the drain pipes. Initially, try to use a | | | | should solve your leaky faucet problem. Always make |
| plunger to loosen up the blockage and see if that will | | | | sure to turn off the water supply to the sink FIRST. |
| help unclog your sink. You may need to stuff a wet | | | | Running Toilet |
| dishcloth into the drain on the other side of the sink | | | | The culprit of a running toilet can usually be found in |
| (in kitchen) or in the overflow drain (in bathroom) to | | | | the toilet tank. Lift the lid and observe the rubber |
| create suction. If that doesn't work, you can also try | | | | tank ball and rubber flapper. Usually if the toilet is |
| to snake a piece of wire down the drain to dislodge | | | | constantly running, the flush valve is not fully closing |
| the block. Lastly, if that fails, remove the drain plug | | | | or the tank ball is sticking. Replacing the rubber |
| (attached to the u-shaped pipe under the sink) and | | | | flapper and adjusting the alignment of the ball usually |
| snake a wire into both sides of the pipe to loosen | | | | solves the problem. |
| any debris. If all else fails, try removing the entire | | | | Costly repair and utility bills could occur if left |
| pipe and clearing the blockage using a plumbing snake | | | | unattended. So be sure to solve these plumbing |
| (wire). | | | | problems quickly to save a lot of time and money in |
| Blocked Toilet | | | | the future. |
| Any blockage is usually caused by something lodged | | | | |