Owning a home is a huge accomplishment but with it comes a lot of expenses. It’s more than just the mortgage and monthly bills, there also is the maintenance and repairs associated with home ownership. If you’ve been having some issues with your plumbing but you aren’t sure if it’s a DIY job you can tackle yourself to save a little money, then you’ll want to check out this list of relatively simple repairs that you can do on your own.
Installing a New Bathroom or Kitchen Faucet
This is a fairly common project that homeowners will encounter at some point or another. You may want to replace the existing faucet as part of a renovation project, or it may not be working properly. Either way this is definitely a DIY project homeowners can handle. All new faucets come with a set of instructions, and you can always go online to find more information including how-to videos.
Cutting PVC Pipe
If you need to cut PVC pipe for a plumbing repair, this is a job that simply requires the right tools. Often homeowners assume it’s something they can’t do, but that’s not the case at all. For the smaller PVC pipe you can use a reciprocating saw, PVC tubing cutter, or a sawzall. For larger PVC, meaning 2 1/2″ in diameter and greater, then you’re going to need an internal PVC pipe cutter, pencil grinder, or chop saw. For more information it’s a good idea to check out The Plumbing Info website.
Fixing a Leaky Faucet
Here is another common problem that homeowners encounter and that is the case of the leaky faucet. This is a repair you’ll want to fix as soon as possible so as not to waste so much water that you see the extra usage appear on your next water bill. In most cases you will end up having to take the faucet apart and replace the washer. Again you can find helpful videos and information online.
Installing a New Showerhead
Much like installing a new faucet this particular job is another one homeowners can do on their own. Most professionals will tell you that of all the plumbing jobs, installing a new showerhead is the simplest. In most cases all you will need to do is remove the existing shower arm and then screw on the new showerhead.
Repair a Running Toilet
The final repair we’ll look at is a running toilet, which again is a very common problem. If you hear the water in the toilet running long after you have flushed it, then you know it’s time to take a look. In most cases it’s either a problem with the flush valve where it needs replacing; the water in the tank is too high and has covered the overflow pipe; or the flush valve isn’t closing all the way.
No Need to Feel Intimidated
Tackling your first plumbing repair job can be a bit of a daunting experience, but with the proper guidance and tools you’ll find there are plenty of repairs you can do on your own.