One of the more common issues you’ll face when you decide to learn how to do plumbing is clogged drains. DIY home plumbing isn’t usually about replacing plumbing or installing new sinks and toilets, it’s more the nitty gritty of everyday living.
Drains tend to get clogged pretty often, particularly in the kitchen sink and the tub. If you catch it in time, a bottle of drain cleaner will often take care of the situation, but if that’s not working anymore, you are going to have to take more drastic measures.
If you’re not interested in trying harsh chemicals in your sink or tub and you have a drain that is just sluggish, but not completely stopped up, then you can try half a cup of baking soda followed by half a cup of vinegar and leave it for a few hours. In kitchen sinks, the problem may be caused by grease, so add a liter or so of boiling water after the initial treatment to help melt it away.
In the kitchen, you should have easy access to the U-pipe under the sink. Some of these come with a “clean-out” cap, which you can just unscrew and use a finger or such to dig out the problem. Otherwise, remove the U and rinse thoroughly with water to remove the obstruction.
If you’re wondering how to do plumbing on tubs, it’s trickier than sinks, but still should be within the scope of DIY home plumbing without requiring any replacing plumbing pipes, etc. Check to see if you can dig the clog out with a pair of needle nose pliers and if not, use the plunger with a little water in the tub. Don’t forget to block the overflow outlet to get good suction.
When your tub is really plugged, you will need to pull out your plumber’s snake. This is a very useful tool that has saved many from replacing plumbing by getting to the problem easily. Every DIY home plumbing kit should include one, even if you are just learning how to do plumbing.
If these tips on how to do plumbing don’t work, don’t hesitate to email me with any DIY home plumbing questions. I’m happy to help you out so you don’t need to start replacing plumbing fixtures.
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