First figure out what type of faucet you're working with.
One of the most common household repairs is the faucet-fix; it wouldn't be such a common repair if these devices worked all of the time! The bad news is you don't always feel like you have time to fix a faucet right away. That's why this article will help explain how to fix a faucet in a jiffy, even if you have a specific type of faucet that you aren't sure how to manage.
First, let's explore the faucet types.
The Ball Faucet: The ball faucet is your classic single-handle faucet on top of a large round base, allowing for a certain mix of hot and cold water with just one nozzle. Many homes today have ball faucets, but you might also want to be aware if your single-handle faucet is actually a disk faucet, a recent innovation.
The Disk Faucet: This faucet is also single-handled. The Disk faucet essentially works by operating with disks instead of a ball. These will also have a round base, so you won't always be able to discern a disk faucet from a ball faucet simply by looking at it. Be sure to find out what kind of faucet you're using before you try and fix it.
The Compression Faucet: Double-handled, the compression faucet works with two valves in each handle allowing for the basic blocking and allowing of flows.
The Cartridge Faucet: These can be a little tricky to discern as they can be single or double-handled. These operate using cartridges, and you might be able to recognize these by the motion they use: a double-handled cartridge faucet should require the faucet to be moved up and down for flow and twisting the knobs for temperature.
So how do you fix these individual faucets in a jiffy? You'll need to know the basics. The first rule with any of these faucets is to turn off the water supply leading to the faucet - either find a valve under the sink or turn off your house's water supply temporarily.
After you've turned off the water, turn the faucet on to let the rest of the remaining water flow out. To prevent dropping anything into the drain, try putting a towel over it. Begin to take apart the faucet and look for the problem - if you need to replace parts, bring that part with you to the hardware store so you can search for duplicates.
Find a guide or blueprint for how your faucet should look on the inside, and try to identify the problem. Online guides that show you how to fix each individual faucet can also help.
Photo Credits: Joe Shlabotnik
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Posted by Fix Handyman on September 10, 2009 in
How to Fix, Plumber, Sink, faucet
How to Unclog a Clogged Toilet in Three Steps
Ugh - there goes the toilet again. Today's toilets are more eco-friendly because they use less water per flush, but this also means they pack less of a wallop than the less-efficient toilets of yesteryear. Which means you'd better be ready to unclog a toilet, but don't worry: it's not as hard as you thought. Here are three steps for doing just that.
- Step 1. First, make a few preparations.
If you don't know what's clogging the toilet, try to ask anyone else who lives with you if they might know. This, of course, will depend on your individual situation and whether or not you already know what's causing the clog. Second, as you're preparing to unclog the toilet, try to spread a few towels around the area - it's likely that you'll splash some toilet water around. Make sure you wash these towels after you're done.
- Step 2. Use a plunger.
This is the basic tool you'll use when working with toilets, and for most clogs, this might actually be your only step. If you've never used a plunger before, don't fret; it's actually pretty simple.
First, you'll want to make sure that there's enough water in your toilet bowl to cover the head of the plunger. Make sure that you don't actually flush the clogged toilet again - instead, you'll want to simply add some water from an external source like a faucet. This will help make the plunging go more smoothly and make sure you get adequate pressure to unclog your clog.
- Step 3. If the plunger fails, try a toilet auger.
This isn't your first option; you'll want to use the auger for the especially stubborn clogs that the plunger simply isn't able to handle.
A toilet auger is much like a plumber's snake, but it is often treated with a plastic coating to help protect the inner workings of your toilet. Using the auger, you can actually "reach in" and manually dislodge a clog by either grabbing it and pulling it back up, or by pushing it through down to your drainage line.
Working with a clogged toilet is one of the easiest things to fix around the home - as long as you know what you're doing. Keep a couple of these tools (a plunger and an auger) handy around the house - you just need one of each. This way you can avoid unnecessary trips to the hardware store or calls to the plumber.
Photo Credits: apartment therapy
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Posted by Fix Handyman on July 30, 2009 in
How to Fix, Plumber, toilet
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