Plumbing Jobs Individuals Can Do

In order to determine the market value of a home, experts and buyers alike will form their opinions around two very important rooms; the kitchen and the bathrooms. As this is commonly known, many people will choose to do a remodeling project on these rooms in order to increase the value of their home. To accomplish the project, there are inevitably going to be some jobs which involve a degree of plumbing expertise. If you are a do it yourself type of person, then it is important to realize that plumbing is not an area that can be glossed over. The proper installation of piping and the individual faucet alike are imperative in order to save time and money in the future. In order to determine what you will be able to handle on your own during the project, make sure that you are aware of the different tasks that the plumbing on the project will entail.

Most do it yourselves do not have a problem when it comes to admitting that plumbing is an area in which their knowledge is limited. While the job may seem hard to understand, the fact is that there are a lot of plumbing jobs that a novice can undertake with confidence that he will be successful. There are many resources available to those who want to try a task on their own, including sources found in books, magazines, and on the Internet. Most of the really good sources will not only include step by step instructions but also clear diagrams on the procedures. Some tasks, such as putting in a new faucet or a tap, are easy enough to do on your own. Other more involved tasks, like replacing a lot of pipes or extending pipe systems, will require the help of trained professionals.

One way to decide what you can undertake yourself and what you will need a pro for is to create a detailed plan before commencing the project. This will help you decide which areas you will need help in, and when that help will be needed. You can also use this plan to set up a schedule in advance with the plumber who you want to do the work.

Good plumbing is a crucial element in the value of your home. It will not necessarily add equity, since plumbing is invisible and sadly what people care about is only what they can see. However, bad plumbing will definitely work to decrease the value of your home in the case of a breakdown. If you have doubts about your capabilities on a project, make sure that you are not afraid to call a plumber.

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Plumbing & Fittings

Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the skilled trade of working with pipes and tubing for fluids such as water, sewage, steam and natural gas. Plumbing originated during the ancient civilizations such as Persian, Chinese, Indian and Roman civilizations as they developed public baths and needed to provide fresh water and drainage. The piping used to convey the water and waste was often made of lead. Since lead is highly toxic if consumed and dangerous to the environment, nearly all modern manufactured plumbing products and materials are lead free.

A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping systems, plumbing fixtures and equipment such as water heaters and boilers.

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Pressure washers or power washers are used for cleaning dirt, stubborn stains, grime and dust from almost all kinds of surfaces including glass, wood, concrete, fiber and steel via high pressure water flow.

Pressure washers have a lot of parts for effective functioning. The main parts in a pressure washer are the electric or gasoline-powered engine attached to a pump. This pump compresses the water and builds up pressure. The hose has a trigger that has the option of spraying the water either in short bursts or as a continuous spray. The power of the washer depends on the strength of the pump. The nozzle or the tip is also a very important component. This tip can be adjusted at different angels for adjusting the pressure of the water. The smallest angle generates the highest pressure. Larger angles up to 40 degrees are for generating sprays covering larger surface area.

Pressure washers also contain a detergent injector that helps to steadily mix the detergent with the water. Other main parts in a pressure washer are the hose, hose reels, valves, heating and cooling components and other plumbing and electrical fittings.

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DIY Plumbing Repair - You Have Homeowners Insurance, Use It!

Since most home owners insurance policies don't cover the cost of repairs few people think to check with them when plumbing problems occur. Although they may not cover the repair, they will usually cover the value of damaged property including cleaning up after the repair. The scope of this type of project is typically not a diy plumbing repair project so you will want to find any way you can to help pay for it.

A few years ago I had the misfortune of finding water seeping through a wall in my basement one spring. First this was blamed on a very wet season. Next, when dry weather came around and the leak was still there a basement waterproofing contractor was called in. It was no suprise when this contractor informed me that I had ground water and needed their expensive services. Since the company had a vested interest in me believing this they did not seem to feel the need to offer any other possible explanation. Based on the fact that the remaining 95% of the basement walls had no such problem a third opinion was in order.

Based on the proximity of the leak to the primary kitchen drain pipes a third contractor was called. After a short examination, the plumbing contractor was able to determine that the kitchen drain pipe was leaking (not where we could access it easily of course but behind a cinder block wall under a concrete slab).

The plumbing contractor then made an unexpected suggestion - call my insurance company before starting the repair. That was when he explained that the company would not pay for the repair, but they would pay for the cost of jack hammering up my living room, hall, and/or office floor to find the leak and cleaning up afterwards. He was also able to suggest an alternative solution that was cleaner and much less expensive and present it to the insurance company.

Two repair scenarios were proposed.

The first project would involved having the plumbing contractor find the leak under the living room slab, repair the drain pipe, and then replace the concrete and flooring to clean up after the project. As would be expected the estimate for this repair was on the high side ($4000+ by the time all the cleanup work would have been completed).

The second repair was considerably less intrusive - they would cap off the existing drain line (kitchen only) and re-route it through the joist's in the basement and re-connect it to the main line outside the house. The only "heavy" work in this proposal was cutting a 6 inch hole in the exterior wall and digging a trench to run the new pipe to be reconnected. The remainder of the work amounted to a fairly simple plumbing repair. The net cost for this repair was about half the first proposal

With both of these proposals on hand, the insurance company had no problem in justifying payment for the FULL SECOND OPTION (less deductable of course). The insurance company saved money, the home owner saved money, and the repair was accomplished within 2 days with a minimum of cleanup required.

This entire project demonstrated the value of a good plumbing contractor. They were able to quickly identify the problem, propose multiple solutions, and help justify the payment by the insurance company.

This repair also demonstrated the value of a insurance company. The insurance company was willing to accept and pay for an alternative solution as well as inform the home owner of all the expenses that should be recorded for reimbursement.

Ray Breitenbach writes for SimpleHomeRepairs. Please visit for more information on how to perform you own basic home repairs

How Do You Install Your Own Plumbing And Drainage System?

The first thing that you will need to consider when undertaking any DIY plumbing and drainage are the regulations issued by your Local Authority or State Department covering these.

If you are altering your existing drainage, or installing a new drainage system you must always inform the local Building Control Department at your local council offices. You will almost certainly need to present detailed plans of the work that you intend to undertake and it will need to be inspected as the work progresses making sure that it complies with local building regulations. If you are simply replacing damaged sections, in most circumstances they do not need to be informed. However, if in any doubt – check it out. A simply phone call should suffice.

To begin with we will take a look at drainage systems.

These can be described as Foul Water systems and Surface Water systems. Foul water is anything that comes from bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms, car washing areas etc. Waste from these sources must always go to your foul water drain system.

Surface water is basically rainwater. This can discharged into a soakaway, watercourse, surface water sewer or, particularly in older properties, into the foul water drainage system. In a combined system, the rainwater pipes are discharged into the foul water drains via gully traps which stop foul air escaping from the drains. However, modern systems are designed to keep the foul water and the surface water apart. It is extremely important to ensure that you do not connect foul water to a surface water drainage system. If you are unsure about the drainage system around your house get advice from the Building Control Department before you start any work.

Remember – If in doubt – check it out!

Planning

Before you begin, you will need to plan the route of the waste pipes. The main things to consider when planning the route of a waste or soil pipe are to keep the route as straight and short as you can. You must avoid making your pipe runs too steep. A soil pipe is normally laid to a fall of 1:40. This won’t seem very much but it is plenty. The rule of thumb for pipe laying is ‘a touch on the bubble’. This means that the bubble on the spirit level has moved to the higher end, but part of the bubble is still contained between the level lines on the spirit level. Remember - this is only a ‘rule of thumb guide. You can calculate the fall of a drain over a distance using a surveyor’s site level. If you do not have one of these available, establish a datum point and use a hosepipe filled with water to establish levels and calculate the fall from the datum this way. (If a hosepipe is filled with water, the level of the water will equal out at each end, measure to the trench floor from the end away from the datum to enable your calculations.)

Your local authority will be able to give you the recommended falls for pipework. Putting in drainage:

Preparing the trench:

When installing your drain trench, you will need to make sure that you do not impair the stability of the building. If you are laying a drain run parallel to the building, you must ensure that any foundations are not undermined.

Do not dig the trench too long before laying the pipe when installing a new drainage system. Make sure that you get the pipes laid as quickly as possible and then backfill the trench as soon as the system has been inspected and tested. The trench may need to be supported depending on the depth and soil conditions. Do not take any risks. If in doubt – add support to the trench to prevent it from collapsing. Keep the trench as narrow as possible, but allow room to work in the trench - say the width of the pipe plus 150mm (6”) on each side. The base of the trench should be clean and even and free from protruding stones or bricks etc. You may need to import a suitable material for the base of the trench if the existing material is unsuitable. Your local inspector will advise you.

Never use bricks and/or other hard materials to support the pipe in the trench. This will damage the pipe and must never be used as temporary or permanent support. The bedding should be properly compacted with hollows made to accommodate the joints in the pipes. You will need to provide a continuous and uniform support for the complete length of the pipe. Once the laid pipes have been inspected, granular material should be evenly backfilled and compacted to a depth of at least 100mm above the pipe. 10 mm shingle has often been used as a backfill material as, not only is it a uniform medium but is also a visual warning to anyone excavating in the area of the drains that there are drainage pipes immediately below. Above the granular backfill material, the original dug material can be used to completely backfill the trench. This should be compacted in 300mm layers. Be sure not use heavy compactors until there is at least 300mm of cover. Light vibratory tampers could be used sensibly to help with the compaction.

You will need to protect any part of the drain system that is less than 600mm below a garden. This is because of potential damage from garden activities and gardening tools. A 50mm layer of lean concrete laid 100mm above the pipe will be adequate to do this. However you could use preformed concrete slabs as an alternative.

It is important that all parts of your drainage system are designed so that all parts of the pipework are accessible to a set of drain rods. Therefore, a run of drains should be as straight as possible between two points. As a general rule, any change in direction of the pipework should be provided with an inspection chamber to allow rodding access. This will also apply to changes in gradient, all drain junctions that are inaccessible to a set of drain rods, changes in pipe diameter and at the head of each run of drain. Where a junction between two drains does not have a manhole, access should be sited on the branch drain within 12 metres of the junction.

DIY plumbing and drainage is certainly within the bounds of most DIY enthusiasts. However, you must remember that it is important to follow local building control regulations and, as always, it is ‘hard graft’!

Remember if in doubt – check it out!

Whilst the author endeavors to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this article, you are reminded that this is only a guide and you should always check with local professional before undertaking any work based herein.

After many years working in the construction industry, Phil now teaches in the UK. He has written many articles for web sites like Householders Guide and http://ukhomeonline.co.uk. His wide knowledge of the Construction Industry and Housing Markets makes him a popular author on how to install drainage.

Don't Get Flushed by Plumbing Problems

There are several plumbing problems that the do-it-yourselfer can fix with little effort and a lot less money than calling a plumber. Remember the DIY motto is to only call for professional help when absolutely necessary. Now there is nothing wrong with hiring a professional because we cannot possibly do every project ourselves but there are many projects that we can do.

Some common plumbing problems include problems with the hot water, problems with the toilet, and problems with drainage in the sink of tubs. With hot water sometimes you may find that there is not enough hot water. This is especially true for larger families. A common cause for this may be that the thermostat on the water heater may be set too low. A fix for this is to adjust the water heater thermostat upwards. This will allow less hot water to be used to still get the temperature that everyone wants.

A common toilet problem is when the toilet does not flush completely. This of course is evidenced by remnants remaining in the bowl after the toilet is flushed. The most common cause is that the ball in the tank is not being lifted high enough. The solution is to adjust the lift mechanism so that it lifts the ball higher in the tank.

A common sink drainage problem is the grease clog. In the case of clogs, the best thing to do is to try to prevent them in the first place. A good way to prevent grease clogs is to pour about a half gallon of boiling water down the drain every other day. However if you already have a grease clog, try pouring some hot vinegar down the drain and letting is set for about 20 minutes and then follow it with boiling water after the 20 minute vinegar soak.

Plumbing problems are one of the top reasons that professional help is sought. However, many of the plumbing problems that you will face can be solved as a DIY project. So make sure that you determine that you are not equipped to solve the problem before you call the plumber.

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Things To Know Before Looking For A Plumber

It will never be easy to find a plumber, especially in the big city. Looking through the phone book will get you a lot of plumbers’ names but not their capability as good plumbers. In an emergency plumbing situation the plumber you get on the other end of the line needs to be not only fast, he has to be good as well. Consider yourself lucky if after finding this miracle worker he can even see you on the same day as you call. If you are in desperate need to have your problem solved, follow these tips to help you contact a plumber quickly.

Agree To Be Flexible

In an emergency, you may have to try people who are moonlighting. You will almost assuredly have to adjust your timetable to fit their availability schedule. In some cases, the plumber has a regular job and a full work schedule for the day and may only be able to help you in his off-hours. However, given little choice in the matter of your emergency, your best bet is to accept whatever time slot the plumber can fit you into on his schedule.

If the only available appointment is after dinner or very early in the morning, it would be in your best interest to accept the small inconvenience to your schedule and allow him to come and fix your problem. Your only other option is to stick to your guns and keep trying to find available plumbers willing to work around your schedule. It is always going to be hard trying to find an available plumber when all you hear is water dripping within your walls or basement.

Agree To Pay A Bonus

You can always bet that the best way to ensure the job gets done is to offer a bonus as an incentive. Put away your pride and your thoughts about your budget and try to focus on the importance of getting the problem fixed and over with. In the end, if you wait too long searching for a plumber, the cost to clean up the water damage will far outweigh any bonus you might have offered. Provided the plumber you find is reputable enough and can come right over, the bonus is always going to be worth it to pay. Always remember, the longer you wait, the more expensive the water cleanup costs will be.

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Finding a Plumber

Know when it's time to call a professional

Plumbing repairs in your home are a big job. When you feel like screaming at the pipes and fixtures in your home, it’s time to call a professionally licensed plumber. The right plumbing services can really take a lot of stress out of your life. With your home's plumbing working again, you’ll wonder why you didn’t have the work done sooner.

Everyone deserves good plumbing in their home. Whether you have a big family, or you live alone, top residential plumbing is absolutely a necessity. A qualified plumber can get yours working again and restore your peace of mind. The right plumbing company will work efficiently and skillfully to make your life easier.

Plumbing for commercial real estate

If you are in the commercial real estate business, then plumbing is probably on your list. Whether you are looking to put pipes in your new construction home or re-do the plumbing in an older commercial office building, a certified plumber is essential. The executives that will work in your building will be grateful you hired a professional and got the job done right the first time.

Don't be overwhelmed by plumbing problems - a professional can come to the rescue

Every home owner experiences special situations and problems with their plumbing from time to time. Things like regular drain cleaning, fixing leaks, and tackling noisy pipe problems can be extremely frustrating. Don’t let these problems overwhelm you. One of the many wonderful certified plumbers is available to come to your rescue.

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