Simple DIY Tips for Fixing Kitchen & Bath Plumbing Issues

Guest Blogger #654, Entry #1563, September 6, 2012

Is the endless drip, drip, drip of your bathroom faucet keeping you up at night? Or maybe your garbage disposal is emitting a stench is making your kitchen repelling rather than inviting?  Times are tough and money is tight, so many of us ignore these pesky plumbing problems rather than hire a professional plumber. You will need to decide if you should use www.thehandypeople for fixing your minor problems or do it yourself. Maybe you don’t consider yourself a DIY type, but there are a few easy, simple, and cheap solutions that you can try at home to fix that incessant dripping or unsavory smelling disposal.

DIY ideas for fixing plumbing problems

Image via

Here are a few tips for fixing some of the more common kitchen and bath plumbing problems:

Foul odor garbage disposal:

Garbage disposals are very convenient, but after some time and use they can start to emit an awful odor. Lemons are one great way to clean out your disposal.  The acidity of lemon juice is a natural cleaner and disinfectant. Simply cut a lemon into large wedges and run them in the disposal with warm water. Another cheap and easy way to rid the smell is baking soda.  Generously sprinkle an entire box of baking soda around and down in the disposal. Leave the baking soda to sit for an hour or two (keeping it dry, so don’t run the sink). After a couple hours rinse the soda down the disposal and inhale the fresh scent!

Can you repair your own sink yourself?

Image via

Leaky faucet:

Whenever dealing with your taps you should always follow these first two steps: turn the water off and grab a couple towels just in case. Once you have these steps complete, fixing your tap is easy! The most common source of the problem is an old washer or seal on the faucet. Here is how you can replace it: Lift off the plastic cover (it is usually marked hot and cold, and can be gently pried off with a thin screw driver). Then unscrew the tap, taking the handle off. With adjustable pliers unscrew the nut holding the valve and lift to get to the rubber seal/washer. Replace that washer and put the faucet back together. Problem fixed!

Poor water flow:

Does your water pressure seem low? Screens inside our faucets can become plugged and blocked by particles in our water and hard minerals. If you simply unscrew the faucet tip, pull out the thin screen and clean it, you can increase your water flow/pressure. Shower heads can also suffer this blockage. The best tip for shower heads is removal of the head and soaking it in a lime, rust, and calcium removal solution. These solutions can be bought inexpensively at your hardware store.

These are just a few of the common pipe problems that homeowners can encounter. Even if this did not solve your plumbing issues, take away this tip: With a bit of confidence, elbow grease, and research, you can fix a lot of small plumbing problems on your own ̶ avoiding that pricey plumber.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.