We’re always caught off guard when those plumbing headaches hit. We wish it would just go away. When we stop to think of our plumbing, most of it’s either behind walls or underground. As a homeowner, educating yourself about your plumbing system could save you some money in the long and short run. Like so much of what we do or possess, knowledge is power; and that’s also true for your plumbing system. If we have some of the basics down on resolving some of our plumbing headaches, we can save a bit on service calls to our plumbing contractor. You don’t have to be a seasoned do-it-yourselfer to fix a leaky toilet or fix a broken garbage disposal.
Try And Fix your Garbage Disposal Yourself
Our garbage disposals are one of those appliances that we cannot do without. I think most would agree that we take our garbage disposal for granted. The point is, they just keep working year after year. Most garbage disposals last for 10-12 years, and they’ve been known to last up to 20 years. Unlike a water heater, they are not bad on your wallet to replace. The number one reason your garbage disposal stops working is that something gets jammed in between the blades. It’s usually a bone, seed, and in some cases, a bottle cap, screw or nail. Nothing ever intentional, it just happens; something makes its way into the disposal. To clear the jammed unit, follow the instructions below.
Troubleshooting your garbage disposal.
1. Unplug the garbage disposal for safety purposes. Turn off the unit from the circuit breaker box.
2. Under the disposal, there is a hex shaped hole that fits a 1/4 inch hex wrench. Most, if not all units, come with one but over the years, they become lost. The hex wrench is also called an allen wrench.
3. Move the wrench back and forth to dislodge what’s jammed inside. Once the disposal is freed up, use kitchen tongs to clear the disposal of the object.
4. If the problem still exists, using a wooden broomstick, place it against the blade and apply pressure to loosen it. If everything fails, call your Big B’s Plumbing contractor license #986152.
You Can Fix Your Toilet For Less Than $20
It seems as though our toilets last forever, although the parts don’t. Eventually, they begin to break down and leak. Even the smallest leak can take a hit on our water bill over time. For less than $20 you can buy a complete rebuild kit for your toilet. Places like Lowes and Home Depot have video tutorials on how to install them. In most cases, it’s the flapper or flush valve; these are all inexpensive, simple fixes. Even if you needed to call for a plumber, you wouldn’t break the bank. While I did say, “It seems like they last forever,” it’s not prudent to keep old water guzzling toilets around when the toilets with the latest technology use a fraction of the water that old toilets use. The investment in a new toilet is small, and you’ll never regret it.