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This article provides tips if you want to take care of your plumbing problems on your own. However, it’s recommended that you do business with a certified SOS Plumber in Brussels rather than improvise yourself as a plumber, especially if your knowledge and expertise in plumbing is limited.
1. How to prepare to repair a faucet
It happens regularly that a faucet is defective and/or that it leaks. Before disassembling it, make sure that it is completely closed (waterproof). To be on the safe side, you should also shut off the mainline that provides water to all faucets. Then place a large enough plastic container under the sink; it will be used to collect the water which will flow. To prevent parts from getting lost and to make assembly easier when your repairs are complete, be methodical. Lay a rigid plate or piece of plywood near where you are working and line up all the removed parts in the order of disassembly.
2. Separate (unstick) a welded pipe
You have a plumbing problem that you would like to solve, but you are unable to separate (unstick) a pipe with two parts welded. Usually, this difficulty is due to the water that is already in the pipe. Indeed, the temperature of the water rises much less quickly than that of the elements of which your pipes are made. This prevents the material from reaching a sufficient degree of heat to melt the alloy which keeps the two parts sealed to each other. Here’s what the professionals suggest: drain the water. To do this,
- close the main pipe which allows the water supply to all the taps. If you don’t know where it is, just follow the pipeline to its source;
- using a drill (small drill), hole the inside of the pipe, as close as possible to the fitting you want to unsolder in order to allow the water to come out;
- your work will then be efficient and you will be able to separate the two parts;
- all you have to do is block the small opening made and
- redo a new weld.
3. Clean the inside of a water heater (remove sediment)
In some areas, the water can be naturally ferrous, sulfurous, limestone, or other. For example, hard water contains mineral salts which will cause scale formation; deposits will accumulate at the bottom of the hot water tank. It is better to eliminate these sediments before they adhere to the heating elements and reduce their efficiency (the water heater, having to operate continuously to counter this resistance to water heating, increases the energy bill). Water heaters powered by fuel oil or natural gas will produce a gurgling noise. These sounds indicate that there is a problem with sediment build-up.
- In order to work in a safe manner, open the door giving access to the water heater control panel and cut off the electrical supply to the latter.
- Connect a flexible hose, such as a garden hose, to the drain valve; the other end of the pipe being in the nearest bung or in a container. If this is the case, plan several containers taking into account the size of your water heater (40, 750, or 60 gallons).
- Let the water come out by the effect of gravity.
It is possible that after turning on the electricity and allowing the water heater to fill up, you may find that you have to redo the operation a second time if there was a large accumulation of deposits.
4. Eliminate odors coming from black water pipes
A plumbing vent is a small piece of pipe that can be seen protruding from the roof of the house. Its role is to ensure that air can pass from the outside to the inside and vice versa to create stability between the pressures in the plumbing system so that the water can escape easily. So that there is good ventilation of the plumbing system at all times, the vent must never be blocked by anything (nesting of certain birds, ice, accumulation of snow, etc.). The symptom of poor ventilation is
- the slowness of the water to flow.
- In addition, the stale air cannot easily escape to the outside, remains trapped inside and gives off bad odors in the house.
- To remedy this plumbing problem, all you have to do is
- unblock the plumbing vent and
- cover the end on the roof with a perforated cover or a perforated plate.
5. Prevent hot water pipes from losing heat
Unlike the galvanized steel, cast iron, or lead pipes of yesteryear, today’s copper pipes that carry water from the water heater do not get hot to the touch. This means that they have low thermal conductivity. The hot water circulating in copper pipes, therefore cooled in contact with the “warm” walls. This problem can be solved by wrapping them in a cylindrical polystyrene sheath with an insulating character. Thus, the heat of the water will be preserved in winter as well as its freshness during the summer season. But this precaution should be applied to as many pipes as possible in the house: those in the floors as well as those in the walls, paying particular attention to those near the exterior walls.
These tips are provided by SOS Plomberie. If you need any help with unblocking drain cleaning in Brussels, contact them.
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