The Internet is full of great DIY ideas. We see DIY tutorials for painting and refinishing cabinets, turning old pallets into patio furniture, and revamping a wall with a custom sponge paint job. What we don’t normally see is plumbing DIY projects – and why not? Plumbing can seem daunting due to how complicated your plumbing system is, but the truth is that there are a lot of projects, cosmetic or otherwise, that can be handled by yourself with common household tools. We advocate calling your plumber for major issues such as a slab leak, but simple leaks or faucet installs don’t usually need an expert’s touch. We’ve put together a list of three simply DIY plumbing projects for your home that anybody can handle.
1. Repairing A Leaky Faucet
The most common complaint we receive is leaky faucets. While they should definitely be taken seriously (as leaky faucets can cause water damage or damage to your pipes), they’re not usually major enough to require a plumber’s expertise. All you need to fix most leaky faucets is a screwdriver, a wrench, and a new faucet cartridge. Turn off the water supply before touching or unscrewing anything, and make sure to release any water trapped inside by quickly turning the faucet on before disassembling. Place a bucket or a trap on the drain to make sure you don’t lose any screws, and carefully unscrew the base of your faucet. You’ll remove the decorative cap first, which gives you access to the cartridge. Make sure to pay attention to how you remove the cartridge, as you will need to replace it in exactly the same manner as the new part. Once you put the new cartridge back in, screw your decorative cap back on and turn the water supply on. Enjoy the lack of dripping!
2. Removing A Clog
Clog removal is, well, gross… But easily handled by someone with no plumbing expertise whatsoever. The only tools you’ll need for unclogging a sink or drain is going to be a bucket and a wrench. Just like with most plumbing DIY projects, turn the water supply off before doing anything. Your bucket is going to go under the U-bend pipe to catch anything left in the pipes, and then you have to simply twist the joint connector that holds the U part of the pipe to the straight part. Most clogs occur in the U-pipe, so you’ll remove this entirely. You can use a snake or pipe cleaner to scrape the inside of your pipe, which will clear out hair, food scraps, or anything else that might be clogging up the pipe. It’s not the prettiest job, but it will make your plumbing run better than new. Once you’re done clearing everything out, put the pipes back together, turn the water back on, and flush out any residue with hot water.
3. Replace A Shower Head
It’s always nice to get a huge upgrade to your home without incurring a huge cost, and one of the ways to do this is by installing a new shower head. There are basic models that only cost around $10, and there are fancy ones that have different pressure settings and detachable heads for around $40 at any hardware store. Replacing your shower head is extremely easy, and you’ll just require the new head, a screwdriver, wrench, and teflon tape. Removing the old one is as easy as unscrewing and popping it off, and you’ll give the exposed pipe a quick rubdown with cleaning solution to remove any build up. Once it’s been cleaned, apply teflon tape around the threads to properly avoid any leaks. Pop the new shower head up there and tighten with your wrench. Turn the water on and check for any leaks – if you see any, remove the shower head and apply a little more teflon tape where you see the issue. Once you clear up any leaks that sprout, you’re free to enjoy your upgrade!
