Tips on Basic Plumbing Emergencies

Most of us must have experienced plumbing problems in our home at some point. If these things do happen, we usually call professional plumbers to do the fixing if we don't know how to do it ourselves. In times when there is no available help right away, you need to know some basic plumbing emergency tips to mitigate the problem.

There are different kinds of plumbing emergencies at home that you might encounter in the future. Plumbing problems such as leaking pipes, stocked-up sinks, and faucets that won't shut off are just some of the simple plumbing emergencies that you can take care of before help becomes available.

It is important to remember, though, that these plumbing emergencies might be simple, however if left unfixed, can cause more serious damage. If you are faced with any or all of these typical plumbing emergencies, it is advised to shut-off the main water control to stop the flow of water. It is also wise to let all the members of the family know the exact location of the main shut-off valve and explain how to properly operate it in case they'll be the one to experience the problem.

However, if the problem involves a certain appliance or fixture, there's no need to go to the main shut-off valve. Instead, locate and turn off only the shutoff valve of that particular fixture or appliance, which is usually found under the fixture such as sink or at the back of an appliance. If it is a leaking water pipe, then you have to turn off the main shut-off valve, which is normally located outside your house. The bottom line is to stop the water supply until the problem is taken care of.

For clogged sinks, make sure to turn off the faucet. Use a snake or plunger to unclog. Remember not to use any drain cleaners if it the sink is totally clogged as it won't fix the problem. For loosen faucet, turn off its water supply control or the main shut-off valve.

Plumbing problems must be left to professional plumbers to do the fixing. Unless you know how to fix or change broken faucets, clogged sinks, or leaking pipes, then you can go ahead and do it. But always remember that if it is not properly fixed, you will have to suffer the same problem over and over again.

Kitchen Plumbing Basics

Women are always concerned about the quality of their kitchen and they want to ensure that their kitchen looks perfect. For this reason, kitchen plumbing has received a lot of appreciation from the people and many women make sure that plumbing is done after every eight or ten months. Kitchen plumbing like many other forms of plumbing, is not a difficult task and it is done by employees who do not even have much experience. The main ingredient of kitchen plumbing is the water supply lines that form the basis of kitchen cleaning.

There is a sink whose plumbing is also required to be done. The visible part of the sink is half above and half below the sink level. The most important part of plumbing is the two valves that are controlled from below the base of sink. The purpose of one valve is to control the ejection of the hot water and the purpose of the other valve is to control the cold water. This feature has been included in the new plumbing parts and the previous parts did not have these features. While doing the task of kitchen plumbing, the person has to be smart enough to know that in which direction the valve is to be turned so that its flow stops and in which direction, its flow continues.

Generally to stop the flow of water, the tap is rotated clockwise and in this way the kitchen plumbing remains organized. There are also other water connections that help the person to ease in the work. It is up to the choice of the person who is doing the job of kitchen plumbing to have two valves or more than that. The material that is used in the faucet also varies according to the choice of the person and generally the material is made up of copper. There is also another opportunity for the person and this opportunity is for the flexibility of the pipes.

This helps the kitchen work become easier and it does not require much of the skills of kitchen plumbing. There is also a use of flexible gas connector below the sink and this allows proper working of the sink. There are many people who adopt kitchen plumbing as a profession.

How to Thaw a Frozen Water Pipe

Yes, winter is here or looming on the horizon, depending on the particular latitude of residence. Winter brings the family together for holiday celebrations like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. But good and bad tend to travel together.

So what nasty little winter events can be expected? Other than that horrid fruit cake that Aunt Hanna brings to the Thanksgiving dinner every year? The usually ill-timed frozen water pipe is one that pops to mind. This article will discuss how to thaw a frozen water pipe.

Be Proactive - Prevent a Frozen Water Pipe

Benjamin Franklin nailed it squarely when he quipped, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

The best time to fix a frozen water pipe is before it happens. That is, a proper plumbing inspection should be done before the arctic weather actually arrives. The October through November time frame is usually appropriate, but again, it depends on latitude. This is part of the home winterizing schedule.

Do you have water pipes in the attic? In the crawl space? Get in there with a flashlight and make sure that everything is well insulated. The pipes themselves need insulation. Foam pipe insulation with a factory-cut slit is cheap and easy to install.

Use silver duct tape to seal the slit, and at intersections and elbows. Don't use regular duct tape. It's not really for use in the attic.

Other products for very exposed areas are UL-listed "heat tape", and "heat cable". The local hardware store should stock products suitable for local use.

Got a swimming pool in the back yard? If it's not heated over the cold season, drain it, and the plumbing, if the weather is particularly severe. If you do keep it heated over the cold spell, keep a pool cover on it when it's not in use.

When a Frozen Water Pipe Does Happen...

Frozen water pipes will happen occasionally, even when all precautions have been taken. First, try running water through the pipe. Does it flow at all? If so, just let it keep flowing to speed the thawing process.

The objective is to get things back to normal before the pipe expands so much that it ruptures. There are several items that will speed thawing the frozen water pipe:

A space heater. This is a help when using the methods below, speeding the thawing process, and keeping the person/people doing the work more comfortable.
A hair dryer. This is a great gadget to thaw plumbing. Don't overheat the pipe in one spot, but keep it moving, as if spray painting.
A heat gun. This is preferable if one is close at hand. A heat gun is like a hair dryer on steroids. Once again, keep it moving.
Water-soaked towels. Soaking towels in hot water and wrapping the pipes also works well. This works best with two or three people. The objective is to keep the towels hot. You're going to want to wear rubber gloves if you opt for this method.
An electric heating pad.An electric heating pad. This is preferable to the towel method because it's dry and covers more real estate.

Precautions While Thawing a Water Pipe

Do not use a blowtorch to thaw pipes. It might sound logical, but it's too much horsepower. Likewise, don't use any other open flame tool. Much too dangerous in any confined space.

And After the Thaw...

Once the water pipe is thawed and flowing normally, check carefully for any pipe cracks that might have developed. If there are any leaks, the plumbing must be repaired as soon as possible. Especially if the leak is in the attic, there is going to be a drywall repair job to take care of.

Now that problem spots have been identified, think of better precautions to take in the future. Install more insulation? More heat in the area? Relocate the lines? Think creatively and think outside the box.

Copyright 2007-2008 Kelly Smith All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted by notifying the author.

Learn While You Work With Part Time Plumbing Courses

Plumbing is one profession that attracts people from all walks of life. The reason - everyone needs a plumber and it's not hard to play his role for a few simple jobs. These simple jobs include replacing pipes, replacing faucets, cleaning pipes internally i.e. flushing them thoroughly and removing any dirt tucked away in them, tending to minor leakages, etc. It is definitely easy to tend to these chores ourselves instead of waiting for a visit by the oh-so-rare plumbers or signing off those hefty cheques to them. And to help you do this, a number of institutes, universities, and professional trainers extend their helping hand by offering part time plumbing courses. Par time plumbing courses differ from full time plumbing courses only in the duration of the classes per day. Other than that, there is no necessary difference between the two.

Part time plumbing courses are available just about everywhere and are in vogue these days. Generally all part time plumbing courses are conducted on the weekends and each class lasts for about 2-4 hours. Some part time plumbing courses are also run during the weekdays and have 1 hour classes so that you can easily find time to attend them. The topics covered in these part time plumbing courses can vary a great deal depending upon the intention of the course. Not all courses are meant for hobbyists; some are meant for would-be professional plumbers who can attend these courses without having to take a break from their current jobs or study courses. A lot of working plumbers also prefer part time plumbing courses when they are in need of some standard certificate to validate that they are qualified plumbers.

Whatever be your position, you can definitely benefit from part time plumbing courses. It teaches you a number of interesting things about the trade as well as opens up new career opportunities. If you are simply looking to join one of the part time plumbing courses to gain general knowledge about the field and tend to simple jobs at your home or office, you can join a certificate course which would not last more than a month or so. But, if you are serious about the plumbing profession, you will have to join a good degree/certificate course that will last for more than 2 years, sometimes even extending up to 5 years.

Most institutes conducting part time plumbing courses lay emphasis on theory classes first and then switch gears into intensive practical sessions. They also encourage apprenticeship with a good plumber to gain practical knowledge and experience. Generally these institutes also run full time plumbing courses and hence have an established network of plumbers who can guide you through the tricky parts of the trade. The alumni associations of these institutes can help you find the right dealers, good customers, introduction to good companies, etc.

Overall, part time plumbing courses are designed to serve a wide range of candidates and you can definitely find a course catering to your specific needs.

Basement Bathroom Plumbing and Remodeling Considerations

Adding a basement bathroom to your home has a lot of benefits. You'll be adding value to your home - houses with more than one bathroom have a real advantage, even in slow markets - and you'll be increasing livable area and convenience. The basement is the best place to add a new bathroom to just about any home. After all, it's less costly than expanding the existing house, and easier than sacrificing upstairs living space for another bath. However, before you jump into this project, there are a few things you should know about basement bathroom plumbing and remodeling projects.

Before you get started, you need to do your research. Basement bathroom plumbing, in particular, can be a really difficult prospect if you don't know what you're doing. You'll need a good plan, you'll have to locate your bathroom correctly, and you'll need to have a good idea of what you want and can get out of your new room. Remember to make a budget and stick to it, but do plenty of research beforehand so your budget will be as accurate as possible.

You need to know what you're doing with the space before you start any kind of construction or renovation. Find out where plumbing outlets and piping is, where you can tap into household wiring, and what the code requirements are for a basement bathroom in your area. If you don't know much about plumbing to start with, there's a good chance that basement bathroom plumbing shouldn't be your first big project.

Be willing to do only the parts of the work you know how to deal with, and contact an expert when you aren't sure. It'll save you money, trouble, and frustration down the line. There's a fairly good chance you'll need to talk to a pro at some point during the project, anyway. That's because many building codes will require you to at least have your remodeling work inspected by someone who does this job for a living. This applies to both plumbing and electricity. A professional may even be required by code to be there for the hookup of the last few pieces.

Basement bathroom plumbing is uniquely complex, but not so hard that you can't do it on your own. You need to understand that if your bathroom is below your sewer lines, you'll have to invest in a method to get waste water up to the sewer or to the septic tank. Gravity will keep it from going there on its own. The two most popular methods are a macerating toilet and a sewage ejection system. Both remove waste water (including sink and tub water from drains if you have a large enough system) and prevent big problems in your basement bathroom. They do cost more than an ordinary toilet, but it's worth it in the end to get one of these options.

Plumbing For Commercial Purposes

As a business owner, you are very aware of the multitasking involved that comes with the everyday life of running your own company. As if spreadsheets, sales meetings, client lunches, and proposal reading were not enough, you also run into other challenges within the office building itself. Those challenges run the gamut from general maintenance issues (light bulb outages, for example) to more complicated problems which can hinder everyday business, such as completely clogged toilets in the customer restroom. While you probably have a maintenance crew available to take care of the smaller problems, there will be times when it is necessary to hire a professional to take care of the larger issues such as plumbing.

The maintenance crew will probably be able to handle everything from keeping the exterior of your building clean and tidy, to rearranging office space as needed. They may even be able to fix toilets that consistently run, faucets that drip, and copy machines that are continually on the fritz. A plumber will be able to handle other predicaments within your plumbing system that are beyond the scope of your maintenance crew.

Some common plumbing problems may include running water coming from the bathroom faucets that looks or smells funny, toilets that cannot be unclogged through the use of plungers or drain cleaners, and old pipes that are cracked or leaking. In any of these situations, hiring a plumber is an absolute must. Only a professional can track the source and carry out testing of unsafe water coming from a faucet that was previously not presenting any problems. A licensed contractor also he has access to special tools such a waterproof cameras that can travel through drain pipes in order to find clogs, which can then be snaked out through the use of a pipe snake. Cracked and leaking the tape presents an entirely different situation. Older pipes may contain lead which can be dangerous to both children and pregnant women. If these are leaking the best option may be to replace him with newer piping which is made out of a safer material.

If you belong to a local business association, check with them first to see if there is a plumber but also belongs to the association. These associations operate for the sole purpose of networking and promoting continued business within the community. However, if you do not belong to an association you can check online for licensed plumbers in your area that perform these aspects of commercial plumbing. Many licensed contractors service both residential and commercial plumbing systems.

All Clogged Up - Plumbing Problems?

There is nothing more frustrating than dealing with something that's not functioning properly. A clogged drain is definitely one of them. Of course your stopped up drain is usually the result of all types of debris that has managed to get into the pipes of your plumbing system. A unique comparison would be the way bacteria manages to get into our system and cause a common cold or some type of infection in our bodies. The cold and flu season is a challenging time in households across America. There are those who attempt to get a flu shot to prevent them from getting ill, and then those who don't.

Our plumbing system requires adequate protection as well. When we disregard food that continuously slips down our drain into our pipes and hair that becomes lodged in the same we are headed for trouble, ask a Lewisville plumber. He would share with you that a backed up sink, tub or toilet is often a symptom of a much bigger problem.

Similar to congestion that lingers in our bodies, if not removed it leads to more complicated issues. Some attempt to spend unnecessary money on plumbing products to remedy their issue. However, many times the issue has already grown to a problem that requires more than a simple home remedy at this point. It's the same way with our cold symptoms. In the beginning stages we attempt to weather the storm of bacteria and unwanted aches and pains with over-the-counter medications. However, when the situation doesn't get better we make our way to the doctor. Calling a Lewisville plumber to do an analysis of your issue is the best method to take for your clogged drain. It's always better to be safe than sorry.