There are many times that you may feel like you need a plumber to fix the small problems that occur in your house, but there are many simple plumbing repairs you can carry out yourself with very basic tools.
Before we talk a little about the kinds of jobs you can do yourself, you should note that any plumbing faults that are in a wall, near an electricity cable, or outlets, are always best handled by a professional; you want to fix a problem, not land yourself in hospital whilst the pipes are still leaking at home.
The most common of these small plumbing repairs are usually based around the sink in the kitchen. This may be that a drain is blocked or not draining properly, or that the pipes under the sink are leaking. This can be fixed in a matter of minutes and really only takes very basic tools. The first thing to do is to look at your 'U' bend under the sink; these are usually rubber or plastic. The plastic variety is the easiest, as you can simply screw them off and see what is obstructing the drain.
Before you begin, be sure that you have a bucket on hand, as there may still be water hanging around in the pipes, and flooding your kitchen floor is not a good result, ever. So now that you have your bucket in place, you can remove the 'U' bend (if you have a rubber one you will need a screwdriver or a spanner to remove it) and see what is obstructing the pipe. More often than not, you will find that some food has gone down the drain and has now clogged the pipes. Simply remove the obstruction and replace the pipes. Should there be a leak that worries you and not a blockage, simply go through each joint with your tools and ensure that they are nice and tight; a little silicone may be needed here and there.
If this does not help, you may have to search through the pipes that lead out of your house. Plumbing repairs are made a little easier in some instances, as most corners on plastic drainage pipes have a small access cap that you can take off and check in the pipe for obstructions. You can simply use a small piece of wood or steel wire to pull the obstruction out of the pipe until the drain is clear again.
When undertaking any plumbing repairs, you really only have to keep the basics in mind. Always be aware of what water is still around, and never use electrical tools during your repairs. Again, if the job is too much for you to handle, rather phone the professionals or a friend that has a better idea of how plumbing works. Causing damage to your home will always be the last thing on your mind, and is quite easy to achieve when water is involved, so caution is the name of the game.
