About Me

Planning and Executing Construction and Contracting Projects: Tips for Consumers

Welcome to my blog. My name is Deborah. About 15 years ago, I bought an old home. We worked with several contractors to rehabilitate it, but ultimately, the foundation simply wasn't stable enough, and we had to tear it down. After that, we worked with a construction crew to build a home from the ground up. The experience was exciting and challenging, and I learned a lot through that process. I want to share construction and contracting facts and information with others so I decided to start this blog. I hope that you like the results, and I thank you for reading. Enjoy!

Planning and Executing Construction and Contracting Projects: Tips for Consumers

Plumbing Situations That Require Professional Help

by Samantha Russell

Homeowners may often tackle certain plumbing problems on their own, without the help of a professional. This can include simple jobs like changing washers in a faucet or unclogging a kitchen sink, but it's never good to tackle every plumbing situation in your home, on your own. Some plumbing problems or jobs that need to be done should be left in the hands of a professional so that you don't make the plumbing problems worse or perform a job incorrectly, leading to even larger repair jobs down the road. Note a few of these plumbing situations best left in the hands of a professional.

1. Installing a new toilet

Installing a new toilet is not simply a matter of disconnecting the bolts of the old toilet and putting a new one in its place. Toilets are set on the floor with rings that protect your home if there should be a leak around the toilet, and you need to ensure they're caulked and sealed properly to prevent those leaks. If you're installing a toilet in a new space, you also need to know the local building codes that affect where it can actually be located in a bathroom according to the side walls and space in front. 

2. Connecting horizontal drain lines

If you're looking to replace pipes behind the walls and are not using the exact same pipes that are in place already, it's best to call a plumber. Horizontal drain lines need what are called Y fittings; these are shaped like a Y or even a W, with a horizontal pipe or two curving up and off a vertical pipe. There are a wide variety of Y fittings available on the market, and some are not meant to be laid on their back or they will allow for clogs. If you don't recognize the right Y fitting, this could mean clogged pipes and backups or leaks.

3. Replacing hot water heaters

Like the toilet, it can be more complicated to replace a hot water heater than you realize. There is a thermostat on the hot water heater but this cannot be used to control the temperature of water delivered to showers and faucets. There should be what is called a mixing valve on the hot water heater to keep water from getting too hot and if you don't know how to check for this valve and ensure it's set properly, this can lead to scalding water from your taps.

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