Common plumbing problems you can fix
Ambient Heating and Plumbing offer a range of professional and friendly services. We seek to deliver a high standard of plumbing, heating and boiler work to Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside and the surrounding areas.
Sometimes though there can some issues, which can be fixed without professional assistance. So keep reading to find some common plumbing problems that you can fix yourself!
Common Problems
Dripping Faucets
Not only are dripping faucets very irritating, they can also be very expensive. The noise can become hard to ignore, and each drip of water drives your water bill higher and higher. Just one single faucet can send hundreds of gallons of water down your drains every year.
The water that enters your home is under pressure, to enable it to move through the pipes. Turning off the taps, causes silicone or rubber washers to form a tight seal. This stops more water from pushing its way through. However, over time the washers can end up becoming damaged. They may become stiff, dislodged, or torn. If/when this happens, dribbles of water trickles through, and creates that irritating dripping.
So you need to replace the washers. You can do this yourself, especially if you have specialised tools. However, if you find it a challenge, or the drip has been continuing for a long time, you may want to consider calling for professional help. It is possible that the valve may have become corroded, or worn. This would require a bigger repair, which is probably beyond a typical house-owner’s skill set.
Clogged or slow drains
Sometimes the water in your sink, toilet, or bath tub won’t go down. This is probably due to a partial or complete clog. Normally you can fix this problem by using a plunger. Plungers use air pressure, in order to dislodge a clog. However, they can’t entirely remove it. Drain cleaners and clog removers- which you can buy from most supermarkets- are normally safe on most drains. Yet, they should only be occasionally used. They can damage some pipe materials, if you rely on them too often. So if you’re tackling clogs regularly, you should call a professional.
Sometimes, you may have a more obvious object stuck in your drain, causing the block. Shining a torch down your drain should help see the cause of obstruction. Using tweezers or pliers can often be used to then remove the object.
To stop further blockages you should consider purchasing a sink strainer. These can be purchased very cheaply and can stop large items, like food wastage, going down and blocking your drain.
Toilet Problems
Your toilet can have plumbing problems. If it becomes blocked, adding bleach and using a plunger can often help it.
Sometimes your toilet may not flush properly. Re-flushing the handle can eventually make your toilet flush everything, but this can become a nuisance. So, if you find your toilet isn’t behaving, you may need to replace its inner workings.
Toilets typically start misbehaving when the flapper valve- which is responsible for letting water pass from the tank to the bowl- stops fitting properly. Other problems could be due to the float becoming imbalanced, or the fill tube coming loose. You can purchase a toilet repair kit for most models, and these involve only a small amount of effort to install.
Need boiler or plumbing services in Teesside?
We are always happy to help our customers, in areas surrounding Teesside, with a range of boiler and plumbing issues.
So, if you experience any major plumbing or boiler problems, which you cannot fix (and you live in Teesside or surrounding areas) please don’t hesitate to contact us.