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How To Fix A Pop-Up
Drain
Raise the trip lever to the open position. Pull the stopper and rocker arm
assembly from the drain. Clean off soap and hair with a dishwashing brush in
a basin of hot water.
HOW TO FIX A
PLUNGER-TYPE DRAIN
A plunger-type tub drain has a simple grate over the drain opening and a
behind-the-scenes plunger stopper. Remove the screws on the over flow
coverplate with a slotted or Phillips head screwdriver. Pull the coverplate,
linkage, and plunger from the overflow opening.
How to fix a
leaky two- or three-handle faucet
Both three-handle and two-handle faucets have a hot-water valve and a
cold-water valve behind their hot and cold faucet handles...
How To
Fix A Leaky One-Handle Faucet
Single-handle rub and shower faucets have one valve controlling both hot and
cold water. This valve sits directly behind the one large knob or lever. If
your tub spout drips all the time, you need to fix this valve. The first
step involves information and materials gathering.
HOW TO
CLEAR CLOGS WITH A CLOSET AUGER
A closet auger is a semirigid cable housed in a tube. The tube has a bend at
the end so it can be snaked through a toilet trap (without scratching it) to
snag blockages.
How to inspect
your plumbing
There are two basic kinds of pipes in a plumbing system: supply pipes
and drain pipes. Supply pipes are always full of water under pressure
and drain pipes (which include vent pipes that only move air) are empty
when not in use. Supply pipes usually are 1/2” or 3/4” in diameter and
drain pipes are any- where from 1½” to 4” or more. The largest drain
pipes are the main drain stack (multi-level houses) and horizontal house
drains fed by branch lines.
Removing and
replacing sink trap components
Before removing a sink trap, place a bucket under the trap to catch
water that spills out. Loosen the slip nut at one end of the trap (a
P-trap is seen here). Use channel-type pliers if the nut won’t unscrew
by hand.
How to frost-proof
your plumbing
OUTDOOR FAUCETS. Remove hoses from all outside faucets when freezing
weather approaches. Shut off the water to the faucet at the shutoff
valve inside. Drain the pipe from the shut off to the spout by opening a
waste nut on the shutoff and the outside faucet itself.
How to fix a
compression faucet
Most compression valves have a threaded metal spindle with a disc-shaped
stem washer on the end. When the spindle is screwed all the way in, the
stem washer covers a hole, and water flow to the spout is stopped. Drips
from the spout happen when the seal between the stem washer and the rim
of the hole (called the “valve seat”) is imperfect. Usually, replacing
the stem washer is enough to stop the drip.
How to fix a
cartridge faucet
Turn off the water at the stop valves. To avoid losing small parts, put
a rag in the drain if it has no stopper. Some cartridge faucets have an
index cap covering a handle screw. Other handles, especially on
one-handle faucets, are secured with a recessed set screw that can be
loosened with a 3/32” or 7/64” hex wrench. A lever type handle with no
set screw may be removed with channel-type pliers.
How to fix a ball
faucet
The ball-type faucet is used by Delta, Peerless, and a few others. The
ball fits into the faucet body and is constructed with three holes (not
visible here)--a hot inlet, a cold inlet, and the outlet, which fills
the valve body with water that then flows to the spout or sprayer.
Depending on the position of the ball, each inlet hole is open, closed,
or somewhere in-between. The inlet holes are sealed to the ball with
valve seats, which are pressed tight against the ball with springs. If
water drips from the spout, replace the seats and springs. Or go ahead
and purchase an entire replacement kit and replace all or most of the
working parts.
How to fix a disc
faucet
The disc-type faucet used by American Standard, among others, has a wide
disc cartridge hidden beneath the handle and the cap. Mounting screws
hold the cartridge in the valve body. Two tight - fitting ceramic discs
with holes in them are concealed inside the cartridge. The handle slides
the top disc back and forth and from side to side over the stationary
bottom disc. This brings the holes in the disks into and out of
alignment, adjusting the flow and mix of hot and cold water.
How to clean a
showerhead
Water may flow through two or three shutoff valves
between the city water line or the well and your shower or sink.
Make sure all the shutoff valves are functioning properly and are
opened fully. If the valves are all open, the problem could be in
the internal working of your outlet valves. Check the filters and
aerators first, as we show you in this project. If the water flow is
still subpar, refer to the project that show you how to repair and
replace faucets.
How to clean a
faucet aerator
Dry and wrap the aerator with masking tape to protect the finish. Adjust
channel-type pliers to fit comfortably over the aerator and twist the
aerator counterclockwise to loosen.
Washing machine
fills slowly
Turn off hot and cold water to the machine and unscrew supply hoses
where they join the machine or at the first accessible coupling.
How to reset the
tank water level
Perhaps the most common cause of running toilets is a minor misadjustment that fails to tell the water to shut off when the toilet
tank is full. The culprit is usually a float ball or cup that is
adjusted to set a water level in the tank that’s higher than the top of
the overflow pipe, which serves as a drain for excess tank water.
What if the flush
stops too soon
Sometimes there is plenty of water in the tank, but not enough of it
makes it to the bowl before the flush valve shuts off the water from the
tank. Modern toilets are designed to leave some water in the tank, since
the first water that leaves the tank does so with the most force. (It’s
pressed out by the weight of the water on top). To increase the duration
of the flush, shorten the length of the chain between the flapper and
the float.
How to replace a
fill valve
Toilet fill valves degrade eventually and need to be replaced. Before
removing the old fill valve, shut off the water supply at the fixture
stop valve located on the tube that supplies water to the tank. Flush
the toilet and sponge out the remaining water. Then, remove the old fill
valve assembly by loosening and removing the mounting nut on the outside
of the tank wall that secures the fill valve.
How to replace a
flush valve
If the fixes your toilet from running, the next step it to try replacing
the flush valve. Before removing the old flush valve, shut off the water
supply at the fixture stop valve located on the cube that supplies water
to the tank. Flush the toilet and sponge out the remaining water. To
make this repair you’ll need to remove the tank from the bowl. Start by
unscrewing the water supply coupling nut from the bottom of the tank.
How to plunge a
clogged toilet
Plunging is the easiest way to remove “natural” blockages. Take time to
lay towels around the base of the toilet and remove other objects to a
safe, dry location, since plunging may result in splashing. Sometimes,
allowing a very full toilet to sit for twenty or thirty minutes will
permit some of the water to drain to a less precarious level, or you can
bail it out. |
