When you own a home, over time, you will experience a break down in the many components that make your home function like the plumbing. Sometimes you may encounter small issues like a clogged drain or maybe you want to install something new like a hot water heater or faucet. Hiring a professional to come out and make these repairs and installs can be expensive. Many of them have a minimum that they charge regardless how long they take. That's why it's important for you as a home owner to take the time to learn a little about how it all works and have the necessary skills to make small repairs on your own.
Let start with some basics in plumbing. First of all, you have the pipes that carry the water to your fixtures and those that take it away to the septic system or town's sewer line. The water coming into your house will have a shut off valve at the entry point. It is important to know where this valve is located so that if you do need to make a repair or you spring a leak, you can shut the flow of the water off to minimize damage to the rest of your home. The water is carried in a cold water pipe until it reaches the hot water tank. From there you have the hot water pipe and cold water pipe and which run to anything that uses water. Typically all of your sinks also have shut off valves, so that if you need to repair or replace your faucets you can do so without water getting everywhere. The drains in all of your sinks have what is known as a p-trap. This is the U-shaped pipe under your sink. It helps the flow of water to go down and not come back up.
If you get a clog in your drain you can use unclogging liquids commonly bought at stores which help dissolve the buildup that has caused the clog. You can also purchase a snake, which is a small brush like wire that can be pushed down your drain pipe to help loosen anything that may be in the pipes. You can find most parts for leaky pipe repair or any other project at a plumbing supply store. You may also want to pick up a simple how to book on making plumbing repairs. These simple steps will help you to save money and avoid hiring a professional for small repairs.
Dave Gorski writes about plumbing at: http://www.plumbingvalues.com
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