Some Basic Plumbing Skills You Should Have

If you can conduct small plumbing repairs at your home on your own, you can save a lot of money from the maintenance service provider. Just remember the number of times you had to call a plumber at your home simply to replace a tap. 

Or, when there was massive water leakage in the bathroom and you didn’t even know what to do in an emergency situation. Because you were not even aware of the basics, you ended up losing several gallons of water.

And that brings you here to learn the basics. In this post, we are going to point out and demonstrate some basic plumbing skills you must-have, so not only you can save hundreds of dirhams in repairs but also take prompt action in an emergency situation.

1.Know Where the Main Valve/Tap is…

This isn't a skill but something basic you should be aware of. After all, it’s your house and you ought to know how the water flow works. There’s a main valve or tap usually located at the roof that controls the water flow throughout your house.

In case of an emergency, a water leak, or when the tap has come out, and the water flow is so intense that the whole tank will be emptied within a minute, turn off the valve. Though that would mean no water supply for a while, this measure will save you a lot of precious water. 

Make sure this valve or tap is installed at an accessible location. If it’s somewhere hard-to-reach, you can also call a plumber to install it somewhere where it would be easily accessible.

2.Clogging

Yuck!!! I know this will sound disgusting to you. You have never cleaned a sink or unclogged a toilet before. But if you pay close attention, you will realize it’s a basic plumbing job. Anyone can do it, with a mask on their face and gloves on their hands.

Clogging is a common problem, it’s common in the kitchen sink or in the toilets. More often than not, chemicals and acids do the job. Boiled water, baking soda, and vinegar can also unclog a sink. But when they don’t, you have to call someone to unclog.

If you are not comfortable with unclogging the toilet, that’s ok. But in the kitchen sink, you should be able to do it yourself; you just need a plumber’s snake. And everything will be cleaned off within a few minutes.

3.Replacing Sink Pipes

Replacing sink pipes is pretty simple, yet you have called in a plumber on numerous occasions. Why pay a few bucks when you can simply unscrew the old one and install a new pipe.

Just find out if the pipe is screwed or attached to the sink through other means. This job doesn’t require any special tools. But since it’s required frequently, you can save your time ( that you had to spend in finding a plumber) and money by doing it yourself.

4.Replacing Showerheads

While you were singing peacefully under the shower, something hit your head and then an insane amount of water flowed. It was the showerhead. Without it, bathing isn’t fun, so you gotta fix it soon.

There are five types of showerheads:

• Standard wall mount
• Top mount
• Handheld
• Sliding bar
• Shower panels

Fortunately, it too doesn’t require any tools. You can simply push the head in the shower and it will be installed – no screws or anything required in most showers. Make sure there’s no leakage when the shower is being used.

5.Installing a New Tap

Tap installation is another basic plumbing chore. In some cases, it can be complex and you should hire a plumber from a plumbing service in Dubai in such a case, but often it’s a straightforward job.

If you have the tools available to open the tap, you can turn off the main valve and replace it with a new one. No such adhesive or screws are required to install a tap.

6.Turning On/Off the Water Heater

We all have a water heater at home. But most of us are scared to roam around it, let alone configure the temperature. However, it’s much easier and more straightforward than you think. You can turn on/off the water heater by simply following the manual. 

Likewise, there’s a detailed guide on changing the temperature. In short, there’s no need to call in a plumber to configure your water heater when the next winter arrives. Plumbers charge a decent amount even for such a small task; why pay them when you can do it yourself?

Conclusion

Having basic plumbing skills can save you a lot of money every year. The repairs for which you had to spend hundreds of dirhams would then be conducted by you, within a matter of minutes. And you will make sure each repair is performed in a neat and accurate manner.