Guest Blogger: How to Fix Your Common Plumbing Issues

If you’re like most homeowners, you’ve never had any desire to learn the art of plumbing. And yet, when you’re scratching your head, mystified about the cause of your leaky faucet, your clogged toilet, or the water stain that seems to have appeared on your basement ceiling, you might wish you had picked up a home repair guide at some point and studied common plumbing issues. Luckily, it’s never too late to learn something new. And your ability to troubleshoot problems with your pipes could let you know when an issue is something that you can handle, thus saving money that you might have otherwise spent on a professional plumber, although you can also tell when you’re in over your head. So here are a few tips and tricks that should help you to get a handle on your home plumbing and troubleshoot any common issues that could arise.

Be able to fix common plumbing issues

Image via: FINNE

Most common problems with plumbing

The first thing you’ll need to do is become aware of the most common problems you’re likely to face where your plumbing is concerned, and there are a few. For example, you may find that the toilets and drains in your home seem to get clogged frequently. Or you might suffer from leaky faucets. You could also have issues with the hot water in your home, as in it doesn’t get hot enough or it turns cold before you’ve finished a short shower. Leaky pipes and water stains are also a problem, especially in older homes. However, an awareness of common issues that could pop up will give you a starting point when it comes to learning to diagnose and perhaps even fix or prevent some problems on your own.

Fixing drains, clogged pipes , and toilets

As for what to do once you’ve discovered an issue, there are a couple of options. An old-school home repair guide may suit some homeowners just fine, but if you’re looking for a little help from modern sources, you can’t go wrong by hopping on the internet to troubleshoot and find instructions and video tutorials, often from professional plumbers, that will help you to figure out what’s causing the problem and find a solution. Clogged toilets and drains, for example, may need nothing more than a plunger or some Drano to fix. Then again, you may need to start flushing more frequently to prevent the toilet from backing up, or snaking the drains on a regular basis to remove hair clogs.

Tips to help you fix your plumbing problems

Image via: Schmitt Company

Leaky faucets are often a quick fix, as well, since the most common cause is a rubber ring that has deteriorated (they’re cheap and easy to replace in most cases). As for hot water issues, you might just need to turn up the temperature on your water heater (although you shouldn’t go above 120? Fahrenheit if you want to avoid scalding) or flush the tank to remove a buildup of debris. Of course, you could be facing more serious issues, in which case you might contact Aqua Plumbing & Air or another local vendor to provide you with a professional opinion and some expert assistance. But if you can troubleshoot a plumbing issue on your own you may find that you can also address it without too much fuss or expense. In the long run, this could save you a ton of money.

For more plumbing and maintenance tips on Stagetecture, click here.