Plumbing Quick Fixes You Should Learn

It’s great to have a good plumber you can call when you need help, but it’s also good to know how to fix some plumbing issues on your own, or minimize a problem until a plumber can arrive. Here are a few plumbing quick fixes that can potentially save you time, money and damage.

• Water Shut Off: For many plumbing problems, especially leaks, you will want to shut off the water right away. Learn where the water valves are. Toilets and sinks usually have a shut off valve near the wall. Showers and bathtubs are usually harder to access and may require you to shut off the water supply for the whole home. The main water supply is probably near where the water main enters the house (this is often in a crawlspace or basement, on the side of the house nearest the street) or somewhere near the water meter. Having the entire house be without water for a while can be very inconvenient, but it’s a lot better than flooding your house. Even a small leak can lead to floor damage or mold growth.
• Leaky Pipe: If a sink drain trap is leaking, shutting off the water supply may not be necessary. Just don’t run the water. You definitely want to shut the water off if a water supply pipe is leaking. Most pipes these days are made of PVC or copper. For either of these materials, you can stop or reduce a leak using a pipe clamp or pipe repair cast (also known as wrap.) If you happen to have iron pipes, you can temporarily use an epoxy to seal the leak. In most instances, a leaky pipe should be replaced.
• Leaky Joint: Joints are a fairly common trouble spot in household plumbing. As stated before, shut off the water supply if this is a water supply joint. Separate the pipes and inspect the material. If the damage is serious, call a plumber. If it’s minor, dry the thread and wrap it (clockwise, three times) with Teflon plumbers tape. Then coat the tape with pipe joint compound before screwing the pipes back together. If the leak continues, the pipes and/or joint will probably need to be replaced.
• Cracked Porcelain: If a porcelain fixture cracks, you may be able to fix it. Dry and clean the area. Then apply plumber’s putty, and caulk on top of that. Hopefully this will form a sufficient seal.

If you need a plumber, call All Star Service and Repair. We have over 60 years of combined experience providing residential plumbing services in Salt Lake County. We do drain cleaning, sewer line repair, trenchless sewer cleaning, whole-home repiping, you name it. We’re confident we can pinpoint the problem and recommend the best course of action using high-tech plumbing inspection equipment. Then, we’ll draw on years of knowledge and training to repair your pipes correctly the first time around. Call us today at (801) 305-3876 or contact us online to schedule the services you need in Salt Lake City, Sandy, Murray, Provo, or Orem.