The Plumber
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When you or someone in your household has dropped a hard object down the toilet your first reaction may be to flush (and hope it goes down), with no prevail your next move might be to try a plunger, if the object is too large to fit down the trap of the toilet this will only make it worse, using a clothes hanger or toilet auger may only push it deeper down the toilet. A quick tip/trick is to use the strongest wet/dry shop vacuum you have and try sucking the object out.

Every homeowner, tenant, or occupant of any type of structure with modern plumbing should know the location of their shut off valves and sewer cleanouts. If a plumbing pipe or fixture ever fails and begins to leak water, you want to be able to head straight for the shut off valve because you know where it is and you know that it works! Always check your valves periodically, keep them young by turning them on and off a couple of times a year. If your home or business was to clog and begin backing up knowing your sewer access point could be the decider as to whether your home is flooded or not, and if you’re a tenant it is still your belongings in the building you do not want to be ruined!

One of the most common DIY mistakes is to tighten fittings and joints as hard as humanly possible. There is no need for this, this will just lead to broken nuts, stripped threads, and leaking connections. Depending on the joint you are working on will decide if you should hand tighten or put a wrench on it, but no need to tighten as hard as you can. Use teflon tape and pipe compound when required to prevent leaks and loose connections.

You don’t have to be perfect, whether you are a professional or first-timer mistakes happen. The only real mistake is not checking your work. We all miss something from time to time but the only way to really mess up your project is to not check your work. No matter the project or repair you are making it is very important to take the time to be sure you didn’t miss something. Once you have completed being sure to run the water for an adequate amount of time to be sure you don’t have any leaks. You may have to go back and add more teflon tape or tighten it a bit more, but as long as you don’t just connect it and walk away, you will do great!

DIY is great! You can save money, time, and even enjoy the sweet victory of knowing you were able to complete the project yourself. But it is very important to know when to call it quits! If your project or repair is not going as planned you do not want to keep spiraling downward trying to save the day, you must know when to stop and call for professional help! Drain Mechanics has your back, know when to stop and call us for help!