Home plumbing provides modern conveniences like running cold or hot water at the turn of a faucet and also toilets. Even though the plumbing system is so vital for running a home smoothly, everyone just takes it for granted; until something goes wrong. Homeowners can take care of minor plumbing issues themselves if they care to have some knowledge of plumbing repairs and a stock of some of the more useful plumbing tools. The most common plumbing issues that a homeowner is likely to encounter are: shutting off the water supply; repairing faucets and cleaning drains. And it is no hard task to deal with them.
You should know how to shut off the water supply. This is the first task that you will have to execute before you undertake any repair in the plumbing line. When a leak occurs anywhere in the plumbing line the first thing you have to do is shut off the water supply to that part of the plumbing. If there is a shut off valve for that portion of the plumbing separately; then you have to locate it and shut off the valve. However if you are not aware of such valve, then you have to shut off the main water supply; the shut off valve for the mains will most probably be located in the basement or outside the home near the electric or the gas meter. If, due to some reason, you are unable to shut off the water supply, you can then ask the utility company to turn the water supply off.
Faucets are the most extensively used plumbing fixture in a home; as a result they are subject to wear very soon. In the plumbing system faucet issues are the most common one. If you want to repair a faucet you have to know the make and type of faucet and how they work. There are four types of faucets: disk, cartridge, compression and ball. Compression types are most common having two handles for operation, while the others have one handle for operation. When you intend to replace or repair a faucet, you should get the new one with the exact measurement of the current one, but it would be better if you carry the current faucet to the hardware store in order to get the exact parts that you intend to replace.
Plumbing system does not mean only that part that brings in fresh water in home. It has another part that consists of a system that takes dirty and used water out of home. This part is called the drainage system. Most common issue with the drainage system is the clogging of drains. Clogging takes place quite often and if it is minor, say, the clog is located in the trap or in the pipe just behind the trap, then it will be an easy job that you can do.
The best way to deal with drain clogging is to prevent it from occurring. You can do this by using a mixture of one cup of salt and a cup of baking soda and one forth cup of cream of tartar. You pour this mixture into the drain and then pour two cups of boiling water after it. This is a way in which you can prevent drain clogging.
These tips can help you prepare yourself to deal with minor plumbing situations on your own.