Toilet clogged, won't flush, constantly running, or you've got noisy banging pipes? Here are some easy home plumbing tips you should try before bringing in the pros. Most often they will usually work and if it doesn't at least you'll know a lot more about your plumbing than you did before.
July 1, 2008 | Comments ()
In case you’ve been procrastinating looking in to the reason your tap water has been coming out a cloudy, milky color—relax, it’s most likely nothing to worry about. More often than not the white-ish color is actually produced by a bunch of tiny air bubbles that enter the water from the pressure in the pipes when you turn on the faucet.
June 11, 2008 | Comments ()
There's no more common household problem than clogged sink drains. One of our most popular articles is how-to replace a p-trap, but before you even look under the sink take a plunger and wet rag and try to dislodge the blockage.
May 6, 2008 | Comments ()
Adding a half-bath is almost always a great idea. Typically they are located in areas for convenience and are also chosen for high-traffic areas in your home. But as families grow and areas of your home evolve we encounter issues with installing half-baths because they weren't selected in original house plans and therefore plumbing and venting was not considered in the area where you most likely want to place them.
Tags: bathroom, half-bath, kitchen, macerating toilet, remodel, saniflo, water pump
May 1, 2008 | Comments ()
Jeanne of House in Progress goes through the steps of replacing the radiator air valve from her bathroom radiator. She reminds us to turn off the furnace and make sure your radiator has completely cooled before removing the valve. You may also want to "bleed" your radiator after replacing the valve to ensure that no excess air remains.
Tags: radiator
February 28, 2008 | Comments ()
Fine Homebuilding provides some safety guidelines and detailed instructions for soldering copper pipe that will keep you safe and have you creating clean joints in no time. Don't forget those goggles!
Tags: copper pipe, soldering
January 23, 2008 | Comments (1)
Well maybe not forever but this simple how-to from Danny Lipford will fix your bathtub leak in short order by simply replacing the washer and sealing the valve threads with Teflon tape.
Tags: bathtub, fixtures, leaky faucet
October 12, 2007 | Comments ()
One of the most common household problems is the leaking faucet. Fortunately it also happens to be one of the easiest to diagnose and repair and there are a ton of resources online that can help. Here are our favorites.
Video
Expert Village
VideoJug
Instructions
Hammerzone
DoItYourself.com
On The House with the Carey Bros.
Ace Hardware
The Natural Handyman
Associated Content
July 17, 2007 | Comments ()
Here's a handy chart for determining pipe thread size. You can find thread sizes for both male and female joints.
According to plumbingsupply.com:
"Two common pipe thread sizes exist, the tapered National Pipe Thread (NPT) and the straight National Standard Free-Fitting Straight Mechanical Pipe Thread (NPSM). The tapered threads are for joining and sealing, the straight threads are only for joining."
Tags: pipes, thread size
March 7, 2007 | Comments ()
This winter has been relatively mild for the northeast but it has returned with a vengeance this month and catching many homeowners off guard who didn't properly prepare for the cold weather. One of the most vulnerable parts of your house is not easily seen but when attacked by the cold will make their presence known. Frozen pipes can ruin not only your plumbing but once they burst the water damage inflicted can be severe. Here are some methods for prevention as well as how to repair the pipes if it's too late.
Preventing Frozen Pipes [Red Cross]
Before the Cold Hits [State Farm]
Take the Chill Out [My Great Home]
Thawing Frozen Pipes [Old House Web]
Repair a Frozen Pipe [Home Addition Plus]
Tags: plumbing, prevention
February 13, 2007 | Comments ()
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