Do It Yourself Plumbing Tips

There is one constant when it comes to plumbing, water is tricky stuff and has a mind of its own. When a leak occurs you want to repair it as fast as you possibly can before a lot of damage occurs. But, when you are looking to do plumbing yourself there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

No matter what, leaks will happen and there is no short cut to correct them. There are no magic pastes or powders that will stop a leak permanently (no matter what the TV says). If you have a leak and want to fix it, use the proper materials and the correct procedures. You need to use copper on copper and plastic with plastic.

When working with plastic always clean it, deburr it and use the appropriate cement to get a good seal. With copper you want to polish the surface with emory cloth, deburr the inside, and use a lot of flux prior to soldering the joint.

When you are working with compression fittings you won't need any solder or glues. There is a metal sleeve that squishes tightly against the fittings to prevent leaks. You can only use the sleeve once so make sure you have it sitting properly before you do your final tightening.

There is no logic when it comes to plumbing sizes. A sink faucet supply hose is a different diameter than a toilet supply hose. A kitchen sink supply line will not work for a bathroom supply line. Also, your toilet can have three different distances from the wall, and there are countless different toilet flappers and faucet washer sizes. Usually the best guarantee to getting the correct part is to take it with you when you purchase the new one.

Usually a good salesperson can tell you what parts you will need, but help them out by bringing in your parts. If you can't because they are too large, take a picture to show them what you need. There is nothing worse than having to run to the supply store several times, just to get a ten cent washer.

If you are taking on the challenge of your own plumbing repairs, make sure you have the right tools, supplies and parts before you start your job. Plumbing repairs are not really difficult, but remember that water is tricky, so if you try to take short cuts it will out smart you.