First-Aid Kit, Sewing Kit …Toilet Repair Kit?
Every Oklahoma City homeowner should have certain tools and supplies on hand in case of a plumbing emergency. Here are a few bathroom plumbing supplies that you should always have on hand so that you can make a simple plumbing repair while you wait for your Oklahoma City plumber.
Repair Kits:
We all have to deal with a leaky sink, a toilet that won’t flush, or water that won’t turn off at some point. The best way to deal with this is to make sure you always have plumbing repair kits on hand. You can pick up simple toilet repair kits at any big box store or Oklahoma City hardware supply store. They generally include all the basic parts needed to repair a toilet.
Sink repair kits will generally have bolts, nuts and washers included, and some may have the stem for the handle as well.
Plumber’s Putty:
While plumber’s putty won’t cure a leaky hose, it will certainly work in a pinch. You can buy this in small jars at most Oklahoma City hardware stores. It’s designed to form a temporary seal for leaky hoses or similar parts. If you discover your bathroom sink is leaking from the connector, this is the best thing to apply until you can call your professional Oklahoma City plumber to arrange for a more permanent fix. Having this material on hand can potentially save you lots of money in water damage repair.
Pipe Epoxy:
Epoxy is similarly not a permanent fix for a hole in a pipe or hose, but it will plug it up long enough to get it fixed. Just as with the putty, the epoxy is good to use in a pinch. The difference is the epoxy can generally be used on wet or dry surfaces, and forms a more secure bond. Use sparingly, though, as it can be very difficult to remove later.
Pipe Wrench:
You never know when you’ll need to tighten a bolt in a hard-to-reach place. Pipe wrenches are designed just for this. They are large enough to reach and grip the farthest pipes in the back of a cabinet or wall.
Washers, Bolts, Nuts:
These are so inexpensive that it’s silly to not have some extra ones on hand. You can store these in a small decorative jar or even an old coffee tin. If you have them, you won’t have to worry about running out in the middle of a repair to pick them up.
Drain Snakes:
If you discover a drain that isn’t draining properly, or worse, a toilet that keeps backing up, the easiest fix is to use a snake to remove the clog. Letting a clog go untreated will only make it worse and can potentially cost you a lot more down the road in repairs. You can pick up an inexpensive snake for around $20. Just keep it in the package and tuck it under the cabinet somewhere out of sight, and then you will have it when you need it.
A Well Stocked Toolbox:
Keep a toolbox handy and accessible. Always make sure you have all the essential tools inside it. Screwdrivers, both flat and Phillips heads, wrenches of different kinds, extra screws, hammers, a level, etc. This will prevent you from scurrying around later trying to find the misplaced tool when you need it most.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/tools-and-equipment-articles/7-must-have-bathroom-plumbing-supplies-2220294.html
If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City plumbing repair contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
Is Your Oklahoma City Toilet Running? Better Catch It!
You hear a hissing in the middle of the night. You notice your Oklahoma City water bill is higher than normal. What you probably have is the common running toilet that, if not addressed, will cost you hundreds of unnecessary dollars.
Fixing a leaking toilet is not a hard skill to learn. The savings (and pride) will last a lifetime. So, here’s a free plumbing tip on causes of a running toilet.
Finding The Cause Of The Leak
The first thing to fix any problem is to find what is causing it. In order to do that we learn how a toilet basically works.
When you push down the toilet handle, all you’re doing is moving a rod upward that lifts something called a flapper that is preventing the tank water from draining into the toilet. The flapper stays up in the tank water because there is a pocket of air in the flapper. As the tank water level drops, so will the floating flapper. It will fall right back into place, sealing the hole that lets out the tank water into the toilet bowl.
What controls water from filling up the tank is a floater that is attached to a rod. As the floater moves up and down with the water level of the tank, it will either open or close a valve. This is how water is let in to refill the toilet tank, and shuts off automatically as the floater rises with the water level. At the same time, water is also directed into the toilet bowl via a tube running in an overflow tube. Again, once the tank reaches a certain level, all water flow should stop.
If the water level is above the overflow tube, water will be constantly draining into the bowl and the floater will never get high enough to shut off the valve. There should be a screw above where the water flows into the tank. Turn it either way to see how it adjust the floater. Alternatively, you could bend the rod to lower the floater. Thus, the floater will reach a point where it shuts of the inflow of water completely. Obviously, the water level needs to be lower than the overflow tube. Check to make sure this is true as it could be as simple as making this adjustment to stop a running toilet.
Another cause of a running toilet could be that water is leaking into the bowl through the flapper part at the bottom of the tank. To test to see if this is the problem, put some food coloring into the tank. Check the bowl in about 5 minutes to see If there is coloring in the bowl. If so, your flapper is not sealing the drain hole completely. In this case, all you have to do is buy a new flapper.
If you have a tank ball sealing the drain hole, make sure the vertical rod is positioned perfectly so that the tank ball will sit in the drain hole perpendicularly.
Another cause could be a short or kinked chain (if you have a flapper type flushing system). Make sure there is enough slack in the chain so that the flapper will completely seat (in the drain hole).
If none of those are the cause of your running toilet, then the filler valve (the part where water comes out to fill your tank) could be the culprit. If your assembly allows you to get to the valve, there should be either rubber washers or O-rings that seal water flow. Check them out to see if there’s ANY wear. Replace if necessary.
If, on the other hand, it seems like it’s one solid piece, you’ll have to change the whole assembly. In this case, you must shut off the toilet water supply at the shut off valve, flush the toilet, and remove the whole assembly by unscrewing the water inlet pipe, and then the whole filler assembly. You will need a wrench, a bucket, and some rags to complete this job. There are videos on the internet showing you how to perform this extraction and installation.
When To Call A Oklahoma City Plumber
Are you afraid you might do more harm than good? Don’t like getting down on your hands and knees and getting a little wet? Or, maybe you have better things to do with your time? These are all valid reasons to let a professional Oklahoma City plumber do the work for you. A skilled plumber should be able to diagnose and fix the leak for you without too many problems.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kaleio_Silva
