8 Plumbing Skills that Anyone Can Master: Part 1

• Aug 01, 2015
• electric-admin
• 0

Becoming a homeowner means suddenly needing to familiarize yourself with the basic home repairs needed to keep your home attractive and running smoothly. Plumbing makes up a significant portion of these do-it-yourself repairs, and the good news is that many basic plumbing skills are simple enough for just about any homeowner to master. As part one of a two part series, here is a look at the first four of eight plumbing skills that you should consider adding to your home repair repertoire.

Shut off the water

Turning off the water in your home is essential at those times when a pipe has burst and water is flooding into your home. To prepare for such an emergency, find out where the main water shut-off valve is in your home (not to be confused with the shut-off valves under your sinks) and learn how to operate it. This valve is typically found in an area close to the outside of the home, and operating it typically involves just turning the handle clockwise until the valve is completely closed.

Fix a leaky faucet

Faucet drips are not only annoying but also waste potentially gallons of water per day. To fix a leaky faucet, you’ll first need to shut off the water valve under the sink. After that, it’s usually a matter of tightening the faucet at the base with a wrench or replacing the washer inside the faucet. Outside of these options, you might need to replace your faucet altogether. If this is the case, there’s no need to worry—installing a new kitchen or bathroom faucet is another basic plumbing skill that made this list.

Install a new faucet

Today’s kitchen and bathroom faucets are designed to be DIY installation friendly, so this task is easier than you might think. Faucet kits that you buy at the hardware store typically come with their own instructions for removing the old faucet and replacing it with the new one, making the installation little more than following a step-by-step walkthrough.

Clean your garbage disposal

Cleaning your garbage disposal is an essential part of maintaining a well-functioning kitchen sink and drain. There are several ways to clean your garbage disposal, and you can find them detailed in our blog post Tips for Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal.

Stay tuned later this month for four more plumbing skills that anyone can master!

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