Plumbing Tools You Should Always Have in Your Home
Are you a homeowner who is interested in keeping their plumbing flowing smoothly without overspending? If so, you’re not alone. Most homeowners that we speak to worry about the cost of plumbing repairs, but did you know that you can perform a number of smaller plumbing tasks and repairs around your home without professional assistance? It’s true; with the right tools you can clear out clogs, seal up your tub and shower, and even tighten up a leaky pipe all without paying extra for servicing.
While it’s important to call for help solving more pressing plumbing emergencies, such as burst pipes and water heater issues, with these handy tools in your arsenal you will be able to handle all manner of smaller fixes:
Depend on Your Plunger
No home should be without at least one plunger. These handy tools are incredibly cheap (most cost between $5 - $10) and can unclog stubborn drains in your sinks, showers, tubs, and toilets in no time at all.
To use a plunger, simply place the head of the plunger over the affected drain. Push down until you feel the rubber head form a pressure seal against the drain, and then push in, and pull out without dislodging the plunger head. Doing this a few times creates a “vacuum” effect which can cause stuck-on or backed-up clogs to wiggle free and be able to be pulled out of the drain, or washed away.
Fix Your Pipes with a Pipe Wrench
While professional assistance should be involved whenever anything serious happens with your plumbing system, if a section of your pipes has come loose and begun leaking then you can usually solve it quickly by using a couple of pipe wrenches.
We recommend getting two pipe wrenches: one to grip and hold the pipes, and another to twist and turn in 10-inch and 14-inch sizes. That way you should be able to handle a pipe of almost any size with ease.
Fill Those Gaps with Caulking
If the caulking around your sink, tub, or shower has begun to peel back or become frayed, water can begin to leak behind and underneath and cause extensive damage to your home.
The dampness and standing water can lead to issues with mold and mildew, so make sure to keep a tube of caulking and caulking gun handy to close up any gaps which may appear.
If you need to re-caulk your tub, make sure to fill it with water before starting to caulk, as the weight inside the tub will pull it as far away from the wall as possible, allowing you to access the gap with ease and fill all of it with sealant.
Discover how working with qualified plumbing experts can give you peace of mind by calling Guardian Plumbing, in Cobourg, ON, today at (289) 251-1626.
