How To Fix Plumbing Problems? 5 Way Discussed!

Plumbing problems are more like nightmares.

Be it your home or office or RV, plumbing problems can take your sleep away.

Immediately after facing problems people tend to go out looking for a handyman. Then they pay loads of money for the repairs.

However, there are problems in this case too. A bad plumber or handyman can ruin your place.

Here’s the thing-

Troubleshooting plumbing problems is super easy. All you need is the basic know how.

Apply what you know properly, and your problems will go away in no time.

But there’s a catch-

Without the proper knowledge, it’s pretty easy to mess up.

No worries.

We’re here to help you out.

So, we’ve gathered up some common plumbing problems. Basically, we’ve gathered up, 5 symptoms, their problems, and probable solution.

So, let’s dive right into the details without wasting any more time-

Symptom 1: Low Water Pressure

Low water pressure is generally the symptom of a sink faucet problem.

Now to identify the problem you to check one thing. See if the low water pressure is the same for hot and cold water.

If there’s low pressure in the case of both hot water and cold water, then the problem is probably in the faucet aerator.

With time calcium deposit builds up in the aerator. At one point, the aerator blocks up and reduces water pressure.

Solution:

It’s pretty easy to fix a blocked aerator. But for this, you’ll need some items-

• Channel-lock pliers
• Masking tape
• Penetrating oil
• Rag or masking tape
• Lime-Away (if needed)
• New aerator (if needed)

After getting the necessary items, you have to go through a step by step method-

1. Remove the aerator
2. Clean out the debris or buildups
3. Put the old aerator back on. Or you can install a new one if you want.

For removing the aerator, there are a number of methods. You can follow the one that suits you best.

Symptom 2: Slow Draining Sink

We’re guessing this is the most common plumbing problem.

This happens because of debris. The pop up that stops the sink collects a lot of hair and debris over time. As a result, your sink starts draining slowly.

Solution

There are actually 5 ways to solve this situation. These are-

1. Clear out those debris with a Zip -it tool
2. Remove the pop-up
3. Clear up the sink overflow
4. Make and use a homemade drain cleaner
5. Use a plunger

Here’s the thing-

There’s a nut attached to the drain just under the sink which holds the pop up in place. This nut can be unscrewed by using hands or pliers.

You can clear the pop up after removing the nut. Later you can reinstall it too.

Symptom 3: Slow Draining Tub

We know you have experienced this at least once. Be it in your own home or someone else’s home.

The reason behind this slow draining is jamming. The main culprit here is human hair. Most of the times, the tub drain gets filled up with hair. Therefore, water starts draining slowly on the tub.

Solution

You can again use the zip it tool for cleaning. Or you can introduce needle nose pliers at this point.

Most of the tubs have a drain stopper. You have to remove and clean the drain stopper before jumping into the drain.

There are 5 types of drain stoppers and they need different approaches. However, some specific tools are always used for this job-

• Screwdriver
• Pliers (as needed)
• Allen wrenches (as needed)
• Bucket
• Small scrub brush
• Household cleaner
• Lime-removal product

Even if your tub is not draining slowly, you should clean it on a regular basis. Ignore it for a while and your drain might clog up fully.

Symptom 4: Running Toilet

This is the most emergency problem among all the plumbing problems.

And guess what? This is a pretty common phenomenon.

A running toilet is often very costly. The more you let it run, the more your water bill rises.

But locating the problem here isn’t that easy. A running toilet can be a symptom of 3 problems.

So, we will give out a short overview of these problems along with solutions.

Problems

The three problems are-

• A faulty fill valve
• A faulty toilet flapper
• A leaky flush valve

To determine the actual problem, start with checking the toilet flapper. Check if the flapper

• Has proper alignment
• Is connected to the chain and the chain works properly
• Is Jammed
• Is consistent

To determine the fill valve problem, look at the water stopping level. Flush once and wait till the reservoir fills up. See if the water is half inches to 1 inch below the overflow tube. If your float valve is submerged, then most probably you have a fill valve problem.

If these are not the problem, then you probably have a flush valve problem.

Solution

For flapper problems, you have to readjust the flapper at first. If your toilet still runs, then you have to replace it.

If the problem is with the fill valve, then the method is not that simple.

To fix this problem, you have to get some items at first-

• Sponge and bucket
• New Fill Valve
• A channel type pliers

After getting the items, jump directly to work.

At first, remove the toilet fill valve. After that, prepare and install the new fill valve. Connect and make adjustments to the fill valve.

For fixing the flush valve problem, you have to get a flush valve fix kit. Now start with the 8-step process of replacing a flush valve. The steps are-

1. Turn off your toilet water supply
2. Remove the old ball assembly
3. Remove access tank water
4. Clean up the valve seat
5. Install a sealant ring onto that cleaned valve seat
6. Position the flapper valve ball assembly correctly
7. Attach the lift chain
8. Turn on water supply and fill up the tank.

Follow these steps correctly to replace your flush valve.

Symptom 5: Jammed Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposal jamming is also one of the most common problems. So, all the garbage disposals come with a handy key that helps unjam it.

However, many people lose it.

Here’s the thing-

You can use an Allen wrench to un-jam a garbage disposal. At the bottom of the disposal, you’ll see an opening. It was made for entering the key.

Now use your ¼ inch Allen wrench and simply turn. Turn that wrench in both directions and your motor will be freed in no time.

Extra Tip!!!

Besides these, if you are using any sort of copper pipes in the whole system, start replacing those with PEX pipes. PEX pipes are easy to replace in case of leaks and other problems. For installing PEX pipes use compact PEX crimp tool.

Bottom Line

These are only 5 symptoms of 7 problems. There are many more. But these are the most common ones.

We believe that you’ve known quite a lot from here. Use these methods and get a good night sleep. Don’t forget to take safety measures while fixing these problems.

Good luck and happy fixing.