Indoor plumbing is one of the greatest inventions of the modern era. Of course, even the greatest inventions have problems and don’t always work the way they’re supposed to. When it doesn’t work, it can throw off your daily routine.
At One Stop Rental, we want to help you cut down on stress. Plumbing problems can wreak havoc on your nerves, but most of the time, they’re easy to fix. Check out our tips on how to troubleshoot common plumbing issues.
Slow Draining Sink
Over time, the pop-up used to stop the sink can collect debris and hair. When there’s too much, it forms a clog that can impede the flow of water through the drain. To get things running smoothly again, all you have to do is clean out the debris. You can use a tool called a zip-it to clean out the clog, or you can remove the pop-up itself to clean everything out. Once the clog is clear, make sure you reinstall the pop-up.
Slow Draining Tub
This is another common plumbing problem with a simple fix. When the bathtub drain gets clogged with hair, it slows down the water that exits the tub. You can use a zip-it or a pair of needle nose pliers to clear debris from the drain. Remember: you might have to take out the tub stopper to get to the clog. It’s a good idea to clean the drain debris on a regular basis, whether you’re experiencing slow draining or not, in order to prevent it from clogging completely.
Running Toilet
Anyone who’s ever dealt with a running toilet knows how annoying they can be. In order to solve this problem, you should first try to determine the cause of the running toilet. Remove the tank lid and look inside. Check the overflow valve first. If the tank is full and water is still flowing into the tube, you need to remove and replace it. If that doesn’t seem to be your problem, examine the flapper chain. If it’s too long, too short, or broken in any way, you’re going to need a replacement. Your last step should be to check the flapper seal. To do this, add food coloring to the tank and check to see if the water in the bowl changes color. If so, you’ve got a faulty flapper seal, which means water will keep running from the tank to the bowl even when it’s not needed. Call a plumber and get it fixed right away.
Jammed Garbage Disposal
The garbage disposal is a wonderful modern convenience, but when it gets jammed, it can give you a headache. If you’re dealing with a disposal that’s not running like it should, try to find the little key that comes with the disposal. If you’re unable to locate it, you can use an Allen wrench to free the motor instead. To get the disposal running again, insert the key or wrench in the opening at the bottom of the disposal and turn the tool in both directions.
Plumbing problems are common, but they are usually easy to solve. After reading this blog article, we hope you’ll be able to solve your frustrating issues and get back to enjoying your modern technology.
You don’t have to call a plumber to do all the work. If you’re a self-professed handyman, consider renting one of One Stop Rental’s drain snakes or wrenches to fix your faulty plumbing. For more information about our tool and equipment rentals, you can contact us or connect with us via social media.