There are countless DIY projects that you can do alone around the house. This includes plumbing work. You do not need to hire plumbers every single time. However, it is important to understand the fact that whenever you feel that you are way over your head, it is time to contact specialists like Fix It Right Plumbing Canberra. Fortunately, the following plumbing projects should be easy enough for most people.
Turning off the water supply to your home
You only need your hands to do this and it just takes around five minutes. In modern homes, there are main shut-off valves. The location of the valve depends on the entrance point of the main water line. This can be in a slab, in some crawlspaces, a basement or outdoors.
Most valves have obvious flow handles. In the event that the water is turned on, the handle is parallel to the water pipe. Just turn off your water by rotating the valve handle to 90 degrees. When the handle reaches a perpendicular level to the water pipe, the water is turned off.
Replacing the shower head
For this you need pliers or a wrench and a brand new head for the shower. Rust remover and Teflon tape might also be needed.
A shower head can be handheld, fixed or be both. All of these are easy to change. Just loosen the old shower head with the wrench/pliers. Then, remove rust or calcification with a hardware store-bought solvent solution. Dry the shower arm and apply some Teflon tape to threads. Take the new shower head and hand-screw it in. Use the wrench/pliers to finish. Then, all you need to do is check for some water leaks. Just tighten further or add some extra Teflon tape when this is the case.
Replacing faucet fixtures
New faucet assemblies are really simple to install. You just need them, silicone, basin wrenches, silicone (or plumber’s putty) and some mineral spirits. By doing this alone you can save up to $500.
Start by closing the water supply. Then, drain remaining water and unscrew water lines. Disconnect lift rods and remove faucet base nuts. Unscrew plastic slip nuts from the P-trap and disconnect drain flange. Rust remover or mineral spirits can be used to clean the area around the drain. Insert your new faucet and tighten mounting nuts. Then, install faucet handles and make sure you tighten them. Put some plumber’s tape on your drain flange and then make sure that pivot holes are facing backward. Install drain rod assemblies and reconnect supply lines. As before, make sure there are no water leaks present.
Installing faucet aerators
This project only takes around 5 to 10 minutes and is really simple. Just unscrew the aerator and go to the department store to get a good replacement. Socket wrenches and adjustable wrenches can be used to unscrew existing aerators. To install the new aerator, you just need to screw in the new model. Then, tighten it and check for potential leaks. Repeat the process if there are leaks visible.
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