Handy DIY Plumbing Tips For The Homeowner
Nowadays the need for effective home plumbing is on the rise. The demand for products and equipment leads to some very innovative techniques that you can do yourself. Now is your chance to find something that works for your plumbing system. Here are some tips that you can use to get you started with doing your own plumbing.
Before starting any plumbing project on your own be sure to do a great deal of research. There are many resources available to assist you in understanding your plumbing system and help you to avoid many common mistakes made by do-it-yourself novices. Reading about other people's mistakes can make the difference of saving or losing money.
To avoid having your outdoor faucets freeze up in the winter, detach all hoses before the first freeze. Also, close the shutoff valve that leads to the outdoor faucets, then turn on the outdoor faucets to let any remaining water in the lines drain. Once temperatures warm up in the spring, you can reverse the process.
Make sure that you disconnect all hoses outside your house when the fall season hits. This is important to reduce the chance of freezing, which can cause damage to the connecting pipes. Disconnect all of your water hoses and store them safely to put your family in the best position for the fall.
Have you tried patching your pipe with the store-bought patching kits only to have that section of your plumbing continue leaking? Replacing the damaged pipe is a more permanent solution than patching. First, you must shut off the main water valve, and drain the water from the damaged section. Cut out the damaged section of the copper pipe, leaving about an inch of extra pipe on both sides of the damaged area. Remove corrosion from inside the pipes with a wire brush. Apply flux to the replacement pipe and the remaining pipe. Slide the piece of replacement pipe into place with couplings. Apply solder all around the joint, and use a propane torch to solder the replacement section into place.
Cover pipes that are outside or in cool areas. Use heat tape to make sure that the pipes are completely covered and insulated. This will prevent frozen pipes in the winter, which can be an expensive problem. Check outdoor pipes for other problems such as leaks and cracks which are better to catch early.
Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.
As you have read, there are many different ways to deal with and maintain your own plumbing. You need to find the treatment that works for you. There is a ton of information that can help you get started. By following these tips, you are well on your way to doing your own plumbing like a pro.
Fraudulent plumber's work 'a disgrace'
A judge told a plumber who defrauded at least a dozen people across south-west England the standard of his work was a "disgrace".
Brad Fairman, 26, of William Morris Way, Swindon, received a 20-month suspended sentence and 160 hours community service.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent trading.
Recorder of Bristol, Judge Peter Blair QC, said: "You fobbed people off and didn't provide what you promised."
Bristol Crown Court heard Fairman had defrauded victims between 2016 and 2019 using a variety of names, including Jack Plumb, and taking money for jobs that were never completed.
One customer paid Fairman £10,000 for a boiler that was never fitted. Another lost about £7,000 after having to get his work refitting her bathroom repaired by a different plumber.
'Bodger not cowboy'
He also gave numerous excuses for failing to carry out work, including that he had a brain tumour, that his tools had been stolen and that he had been involved in a biking accident, the court was told.
Defending, George Threlfall said most of Fairman's customers were satisfied with his work and claimed he was a "bodger rather than a cowboy".
They added that he did not have a "deeply-ingrained criminal personality" but was "in way over his head", taking on work he was not capable of doing".
The sentencing came after an investigation carried out by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigation Team (South West).
The judge told Fairman: "You secured work way beyond your ability to complete it. You should have stopped trading and refunded people.
"Customers had the misery of finding alternative traders to put right what you'd got wrong."
Fairman will also be subject to a curfew for the next three months.