5 easy fixes for plumbing disasters

Whether it's a clogged sink or a cracked copper pipe, here's everything you need to know to fix that plumbing problem

By Allan Britnell

plumbing

No comments

Standing hunched over in the basement, watching as a plumber replaced a cracked and corroded sewer drain with a length of ABS and a pair of couplers, I kept thinking, I could have done that myself. After he handed me a bill in excess of $400 for about 30 minutes of work, I thought, I should have done that myself!

With plumbers often charging rates a lawyer might find criminal, it makes financial sense to learn how to handle some basic plumbing tasks yourself.

How to unclog a sink drain

Whether it's hair and bits of soap bars clogging the bathroom sink or grease and food blocking up the one in the kitchen, clogged drains are one of the most common household plumbing problems. Here's how to clear the clogs without emptying your wallet (or flushing harsh chemicals down the drain).

First step: Try to clear things with a plunger. Make sure there's enough water in the bottom of the basin to cover the lip of the plunger-to create a vacuum-but not so much that the plunging action will slosh it onto the countertop. For a complete seal, slather some petroleum jelly on the base of the plunger.

Before plunging, you'll want to plug any escape routes from which water could come shooting out. In a kitchen with a double sink, put a stopper in the other basin; in the bathroom, plug the overflow drain at the top edge of the bowl with a rag.

For a simple clog, a few quick strokes up and down might push the blockage through or pull it up. Lift the plunger out and see if the water drains. If that doesn't work, drive the plunger up and down vigorously a dozen or more times. Then, on your final upward stroke, pull it completely out of the water, drawing the clog, one hopes, into the bowl. Repeat this process two or three times before breaking out your plumber's tools.

Next step: remove the trap (often called a J-trap or P-trap for its resemblance to those letters). But, first, clear the clutter in your cabinet and place a bucket under the trap. If there's a cleanout valve at the base of the trap, remove it. If gravity doesn't cause the clog to fall out on its own, fish in a length of coat hanger or a hand auger-also called a plumber's snake-into the hole. An auger is an essential, $15 DIY plumber's tool that has a pointed tip for snagging and breaking up clogs at the end of 25' or so of coiled flexible metal. To use it, loosen the thumbscrew at the tip and fish the line into the pipe until you feel resistance (either a bend in the pipe or your clog). Pull out 6" of slack, tighten the screw, and turn the handle clockwise while trying to push the line farther in. When the resistance gives, retract the cable and see if you've brought out a hairball in its grasp. If not, it was probably just a bend in the pipe, so you'll have to repeat the process and go farther.

If you don't have a valve in your trap-or the auger still didn't clear things out-use a pipe wrench to loosen the slipnuts securing the trap. Turn the trap over into the bucket and, in most cases, the clog should fall out. (I once removed the J-trap and dumped a metal dental pick-wrapped in hair-into my bucket.) If not, thread your hand auger through the pipe to clear the clog.

Reattach the trap and-leaving the bucket in place-put the stopper in the sink. Fill it with an inch or so of water, then pull the plug, keeping your eyes on the nuts for any leaks.

Tips: Boiling water will sometimes dissolve soap clogs in a sink drain.

"Lefty loosey" (as opposed to "righty tighty") and a squirt of lubricant will help you get corroded nuts off.

How to install or replace a faucet

New faucets come with detailed step-by-step instructions. While you should follow those steps, the intent here is to show how relatively straightforward a task installing a typical faucet can be. It's like putting a puzzle together; you just need to make sure you follow all the steps in the right order and don't have any “extra” pieces left over at the end.

Step 1 is to turn the water off. If you're lucky, there will be hot- and cold-water shut-offs on the fixture's waterlines. If not, turn off your main water supply and consider installing shut-offs as Step 2. Turn on the old faucet to drain the last bit of water in the lines (and ensure that the water is really off).

From below the sink, you'll need to disconnect the supply lines at the base of the faucet (have a bucket handy to catch the water that will be in the lines) and then remove the mounting nuts. In really tight confines, you might need a basin wrench ($10) to do this. Also note that most bathroom faucets have an integral pop-up drain plug. You'll need to loosen the screw connecting the lift rod to the plug before you can remove the faucet.

Back up top, you may need to score the caulking around the faucet's base before it will lift off. Once the old faucet is off, scrape off any gunk on the countertop. Now, you're basically going to follow the preceding steps in reverse.

The water supply for kitchen faucets comes up either together through the middle of the unit or, as we've shown, independently on either end. Either way, fit the fixture into the appropriate hole(s) in the sink basin. From below, thread the mounting nuts onto the tailpieces. Connect the water supply lines to the bottom of the tailpieces. Turn the water back on and test.

Tip: Does the water trickle out of your faucet?
The aerator-the mesh screen at the outflow point-may be clogged. Wrap it with a towel or tape to prevent scratches and use pliers to remove the screen to flush it out.

How to unclog a toilet

Using a plunger to clear a toilet is probably the one plumbing technique every homeowner has tried. But how many of us give up after that doesn't work and call a plumber?

If the plunger doesn't help, rather than a pricey phone call, pick up a toilet (or closet) auger for about $15. This tool looks and works much like the hand auger but has a larger business end and a black rubber sleeve that rests on the bottom of the bowl to prevent scratches.

With the rubber base seated at the bottom of the bowl, start feeding the auger into the toilet trap by pushing down on the handle and turning it clockwise.

If the blockage was simply paper (or other, um, organic matter), the auger should break it up enough for water to flow with the next flush. If you're trying to fish out a missing cellphone or stuffed animal (anyone else have a two-year-old?) you'll need to snag and then pull it out. When you feel it reach the obstruction, retract the cable and pull the auger and object out of the trap.

If the auger still doesn't get things flowing, see the instructions for replacing a toilet to investigate the source of the blockage further.

How to solder copper pipe

Whether it's repairing cracked pipes or adding new fixtures, knowing how to solder is a handy and money-saving skill to have.

Step 1 is measuring and cutting your pipe to length. Fit a pipe cutter over the pipe and tighten the thumbscrew at the base so that the blade snugs up to the copper. Spin the cutter completely around the pipe a couple times, then tighten slightly, repeating until the pipe is cut. Use the reamer on the cutter to remove any copper burrs inside the pipe.

Step 2 is to scour the edges of the pipe with aluminum-oxide paper and scrape inside your connector (in this case, a 90° copper elbow) with a fitting brush. Dry-fit all your pieces first, then pull them apart and apply flux (also known as solder paste) to the end of pipe and the connector you're going to join first. Fit the connector onto the pipe, then turn on your torch. Apply the flame, moving it all around the joint. After about five seconds, dab the pipe with lead-free solder. You're ready to go when the solder starts to melt. Touch the solder to the joint and watch as it is sucked in. Cool the joint with a damp rag and prep for the next connection. Once all your joints are soldered and cooled, cross your fingers and turn on the water.

Tips: In close quarters, use a woven ceramic heat shield ($25) or a product like Bernzomatic's Cold Coat gel ($10) to prevent nearby inflammables from igniting. Also, since the water is off, you should keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher handy.

Water trickling down the line will prevent pipes from heating up enough to draw the solder. A piece of bread shoved into the pipe acts as a temporary plug that will eventually dissolve away.

How to replace a toilet

As with a faucet replacement, different models of toilets may come with slightly different parts than what's shown in the illustration, with some toilets, for example, the tank and bowl come as a single, seamless piece, and specific instructions that should be followed. But, regardless of manufacturer or size, this covers the basic steps for installing a two-piece toilet.

Step 1 here is to remove the old toilet. Start by shutting off the water supply. Flush the toilet a couple times and then scoop out any water remaining in the bowl and tank. (You'll never get all the water out, so you'll want to have some old towels handy to rest the parts on as you remove them.)

To remove the tank, you'll need to disconnect the water supply line (have a bucket handy for the water sitting in the line) and remove the two nuts that secure the tank to the bowl.

Next, you'll need to remove the nuts on the closet bolts that secure the bowl to the floor. Of course, the base of a toilet can be a very corrosive (not to mention, icky) environment. If you're lucky, they'll come off with a few turns of a wrench, but you may need a hacksaw or cut-off tool to remove them. If the existing closet bolts show any signs of corrosion, replace them with new ones. The flat heads fit into grooves in the flange. As with a faucet, you may need to cut away some caulking at the base first before the toilet can be removed.

Use a wet rag to plug the exposed hole temporarily, you don't want to lose your wrench down there and, without the water in the toilet trap to stop the sewer gases, they will vent into the bathroom. Get the old toilet parts out of the way, and you're ready to install your new one.

Note that new toilets generally don't come with a wax ring in the box. Be sure to pick one up (they're about $2) before leaving the store. You'll also need to buy a seat that's the appropriate size and shape for the bowl.

Lay your new bowl upside down on a towel or blanket to prevent scratching, then press the wax ring into place around the opening at the bottom of the bowl. Flip the bowl over, set it in place over the closet bolts and apply pressure evenly.

Thread washers and nuts over the bolts and secure. Don't overtighten the bolts or you could crack the bowl base. You may have to cut the tops of the bolts off to fit the caps over them.

You'll also need to flip the toilet tank upside down to fit a spud washer in place. Turn the tank back over, set it in place and thread the tank bolts (don't forget the washers) through the tank and bowl. Tighten the nuts from below, again taking care to not overtighten.

Connect the water-supply line, turn the water on and, after the tank is filled, do a test flush. Once you're sure that everything is functioning properly, install the toilet seat and finish off with a bead of caulking around the base of the bowl.

Tip: For additional advice, most manufacturers have installation and troubleshooting guides on their websites. Libraries and bookstores are filled with illustrated step-by-step guides or, if you prefer face-to-face advice, bring your confounding parts and a digital picture to the local hardware or plumbing-supply store.


No comments

To leave a comment, please log in

Don't have an user account? Register for free

Poll

How do you heat your home?

Loading ... Loading ...

Recommendations