
Certain DIY projects are easy to get started on with very little experience. Plumbing is usually not one of them. Not knowing what you’re doing when beginning a plumbing project can result in some major damage. The last thing you want is a pool of water in your living room. However, if you take the time to learn some of the basics, you can have a much easier time with simple projects and won’t risk flooding your house in the process.
Know Where Your Shut Off Valves Are
Before starting on any plumbing project, you should locate all of your shutoff valves and know what they control. It is also important to know where the main house shutoff valve is. This can be used to shut off the entire plumbing of your home in the worst-case scenario of dealing with a broken pipe that could flood the house.
Learn How to Sweat a Copper Pipe
Sweating a copper pipe, also known as soldering, is the process of replacing pipe joints using a blowtorch to melt the metal to fit a connecting joint that can stop a pipe leak. All you need to get started is solder, flux, a small torch, and a few pieces of copper, all of which can be found at your local hardware store.
Understand Your Home’s Plumbing
Before beginning even the smallest plumbing project, it is important to get a sense of how your home’s plumbing system works. Start by doing some basic research to get a general understanding of plumbing concepts. Learn about what vent pipes do, how big your drain lines should be, and how much pitch a waste pipe needs. You can then use that knowledge and apply it to your home.
Final Thoughts
Plumbing is never an easy DIY project, but it can be very rewarding if you put the time and effort in to understand some of the basics. While minor jobs can easily be done in a DIY way, we recommend hiring a professional plumber at Service Today. Their plumbers have been serving the greater Sydney area for years and have seen it all. Plumbing isn’t as simple as other DIY projects, which is why it is important to hire an expert plumber you can trust. Contact us today to see how we can help you with all of your plumbing needs.