Have you ever been at home and suddenly you have a sink or toilet stopped up won’t drain and you don’t know what to do? In this article I’m gonna give you some tips and tricks to talk a little bit about plumbing so that maybe next time you are in this situation you can solve it without having to call a professional plumber. However, many times a plumbing issue will require a professional to come out and evaluate it and fix the problem. Some plumbing tasks are just too complicated or require special tools that homeowners cannot do on their own.
Stopped Up Sink
If you have a stopped up sink and you cannot get it to drain often times going under the sink and opening up the P-trap by unscrewing the pipe will allow you to remove the obstruction, and get the sink draining again.
I have even had luck at using a metal clothes hanger, and straighten it out and running it down the sink drain to pull out a build up of hair and gunk that often gets stuck and causes the water to back up over time.
Clogged Toilet
Clogs in the toilet can be more complicated because you’re only real way of unclogging this is with a plunger, you will want to flush the toilet and as the water rises above the plunger you create a seal against the bottom of the toilet and perform small hard thrusts to build a suction and hopefully remove the clog.
If that technique does not work you can purchase snacks and water balloon like fittings that go on the end of water hose at your home improvement store. But often for these type of drains you will have to call in a professional plumber.
Leaky Pipes
If you have a pipe that’s leaking many times just tightening up the joints and thread will solve the problem however if this does not work then you might want to unscrew the pipe apply Teflon tape around the threads, and then re-screw the pipe back together tightly this will often fix leaky faucet’s and pipe connections.
I hope these tips will help you with some of your home plumbing fixes and repairs in the future, and once again if this does not work be sure and call up your local plumber and get the job done by a professional. One of the most skilled plumbing contractors I personally know is in west Texas. His company is probably one of the best plumbers Midland TX has counted on for all their septic, piping, clogs, sink and tub installations and water heater needs. Click the link above and feel free to reach out to Permian Basin Plumbing for any advice or service. your home or business might need.
Don’t be afraid to try these simple repairs yourself, it can definitely save you a little money and often times it’s nat as hard as it seems. There are many self help videos on Youtube and other networks that provide a ton of detailed videos to help as well.
Good luck- Richard