Let’s be honest here, no one really wants to get their hands dirty and to risk destroying the bathroom, but hey, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Sometimes there’s not a single plumber out there that wants to make a visit to your house and make your life easier. When that happens, you need to be your own hero.
Fortunately, that’s not as hard as it sounds. With a little know-how, you can avoid some of the most common bathroom problems. In fact, you might even avoid them altogether. The only plumber in your home from now on will be Super Mario.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems that can occur in your bathroom.
Dripping faucet
Let’s face it, most of us absolutely hate leaky faucets. That constant dripping sound drives us crazy. You try jiggling the faucet; you try closing it slowly. Nothing works. Well, that’s because you’re doing it wrong. Here’s how you can fix it:
- Turn off the water supply
- Access the handle screw and unscrew it
- Remove the parts and clean them
- Replace worn parts and reassemble the faucet
- Open the water shutoff valve slightly to flush out debris
- Don’t get scared by the air that’ll go out of the pipes first
Overflowing toilet
This is the reason why every home owner should have at least one quality plunger in their bathroom. If your toilets overflow every couple of months or so, then you shouldn’t worry. A few quick plunges will fix the problem for you. Just make sure to put old towels and rags around the toilet because there will be water everywhere.
If your toilet is getting overflowed constantly, then you might have a much bigger problem on your hands, and that’s exactly when you should throw the plunger out of your hands and call an experienced plumber. Consistently overflowed toilet means that you have a big problem somewhere down the line, and that’s something that you should leave to the professionals.
Tub and shower clogs
Most tub and shower clogs are caused by hair. Even though you might have short hair, it can happen to you. The average person loses 50-100 hairs from the head every day, and most of that hair goes down the drain. You should pay special attention when buying bath tubs because not all bath tub drains are the same.
Bath tub drains consist of two parts – the parts that are visible, and the parts that are installed below the tub and behind the walls. The basic design of the drain is the same for all tubs, but drain components might vary slightly, depending on the manufacturer.
If your drain is small, then you’ll have to get the hairs out of your drain the old fashioned way – with a wire coat hanger. Simply straighten it, make a hook, and pull out those nasty hairs out of the drain. If your drain is big enough, then you’ll probably never have to worry about doing this.
Leaky shower head
Yes, yes, the point of the showerhead is to leak, but you know what we’re talking about. Usually, the leaky shower head is caused by excessive mineral build up or a worn out rubber gasket. To solve this problem grab a pair of pliers and remove the shower head. Be careful not to bend the pipes in the process because then you’ll need a new showerhead.
If any of the parts look worn to you, take them to your local hardware store and simply purchase new ones since they’re really cheap. After that, you just need to put them where they need to be.
Learning how to address these common problems will save you a lot of money and time in the future, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and wet. Fix all small and common problems that you can, but don’t hesitate to call the professionals to help you when you bite off more than you can chew.
