Top Tips for DIY Home Plumbing Repairs

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With our recent renovations, I wanted to share a useful post on top tips for DIY Home Plumbing Repairs, you never know when you might need them.

Plumbing is a necessity for modern living, with homeowners falling into despair if things go wrong with the pipes and drains in their home. Not only are blocked drains and plumbing issues a huge inconvenience but they can drastically affect your standard of living if they go unfixed – not to mention the cost of calling out an emergency plumber that you could do without unless absolutely necessary.

When you have a family to take care of and kids running around your feet, the last thing you need to panic about is failing plumbing. Luckily, there are plenty of tips available that can help us with some DIY home plumbing so that we don’t have to call out a plumber every time we hear a drip. However, there will be some occasions when you need professional help – in that case, keep the number for Dyno 24 hour plumbing to hand!

• Learn where your stopcock is in case you ever need to turn the water off at the mains. It’s usually underneath the kitchen sink. 
• If you find you have no hot water, before you get in a tizzy and call for help, check the simple signs – Is the pilot light on your gas boiler lit? Is the temperature set high enough to provide hot water? A major thing you should look at when you move into your home is whether the boiler is big enough to suit your needs – big families will inevitably need more hot water and smaller heaters may not be able to keep up with demand. Combi boilers are one of the most common heating systems found in most homes. A combi boiler installation is one of the easiest and most budget-friendly options you have.
• Blocked drains are a huge issue for many homes – make sure you have a plunger, baking soda and vinegar on hand in case you’re faced with a blockage. If plunging doesn’t loosen the issue, pour some baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar. Hopefully, the chemical reaction will help to remove the blockage and your drains will flush clear. 
• Dripping taps can be incredibly annoying and a waste of water. Extend the life of your taps by making sure you don’t turn them on/off with too much force. A dripping tap is likely due to eroded washers but replacing them isn’t too difficult a task. 
• Leaking pipes can cause enormous amounts of damage if left unfixed. Knowing how to fix a leaking pipe, even if it’s just temporary, can help you enormously. Relieving the pressure in the pipe by turning the water off and turning on the taps that are linked to the leaking pipe (or bleeding the valves) can help to prevent damage while you’re waiting for the plumber. 

If in any doubt, always have the number of a reliable plumber handy and be prepared to call them if your DIY efforts don’t help the issue.