Reheat Solder When You Can’t Cut a Pipe

The best way to disconnect a soldered pipe is to cut it. But sometimes you can’t—either because you can’t get a cutting tool into the space or because cutting would leave the pipe too short to make a new connection. The solution is to heat the joint and pull off the fitting as the solder melts.

Have a wet rag handy and immediately wipe away the molten solder before it hardens. (Wear gloves to prevent burning your fingers!) Sometimes a quick wipe will leave the pipe ready for a new fitting. More likely, you’ll have to scour off some excess solder with sandpaper or emery cloth before you can slip on a new fitting.

Replace Metal Drain Lines with Plastic

Metal drain lines under sinks look a lot more reliable than plastic. But plastic is better in almost every way. It’s cheaper, easier to install, and easier to adjust or tighten if a leak develops. And unlike metal, plastic won’t corrode. So when a metal drain leaks, often the smartest move is to replace the entire assembly with plastic.

Loosen Stuck Pipes with Heat

When a threaded connection won’t budge, heat sometimes does the trick, especially on ancient connections that were sealed with pipe dope that hardened over time. Be patient. Getting the metal hot enough can take a couple of minutes. Protect nearby surfaces with a flame-resistant cloth. This method is for water and waste pipes only, never for gas or fuel lines. Find out how to open up a stuck cleanout plug, too.

Piggyback Stubborn Shutoffs

Shutoff valves under sinks and toilets have a rotten reliability record. Sometimes they won’t close completely; sometimes they won’t close at all. In either case, there’s an alternative to replacing the shutoff. Most home centers carry “piggyback” shutoff valves that connect to existing shutoffs. Just disconnect the supply line and install the new valve (a new supply line is a good idea, too). If the old shutoff closes most of the way, you won’t even have to turn off the main water valve; just set a container under the valve to catch the trickle while you work.

Fix a Clog in Seconds

Before you run a drain snake into a clogged pipe or disassemble the trap, there are a few other tricks worth trying: Often, you can yank out a clog with a flexible-shaft pick-up tool (shown above) or a Zip-It (below). Likewise, a wet/dry vacuum just might suck out the clog.

Don’t Overtighten Supply Lines

It’s tempting to crank supply lines on tight, just to be safe. But overtightening supply lines is actually riskier than undertightening. A loose connection that leaks is easy to tighten, but overtightening can wreck rubber seals and crack the threaded nuts. So get into this habit: Make the connections at both ends of the supply line finger-tight, then give them another one-eighth to one-quarter turn with pliers. If they leak, snug them up a little more.

Don’t Reuse Supply Lines

When you’re replacing a toilet or a faucet, you can save a few bucks by reusing the old flexible supply lines. But don’t. Plastic degrades over time, and even a small leak can lead to catastrophic water damage. It’s a small risk, but not one worth taking. Buy new lines that are encased in braided stainless steel; they’re much less likely to burst. But even if you already have braided lines that are several years old, replace them.

Tips for Using Thread Tape

Tape and dope are equally reliable for sealing pipe threads. The main advantage of tape is that it won’t smear onto your hands or tools and end up on the carpet. Here are some tips for tape:

• Cheap tape works fine, but the thicker stuff (often pink for water, yellow for gas) is easier to handle and tears more neatly.
• Unlike dope, tape is for pipe threads only. Don’t use it on compression or other connections.
• How many times should you wrap around the pipe? There are no rules, but the most common answer we got from pro plumbers was three.
• Always wrap the tape clockwise around the threads. Otherwise, the tape will unwrap as you screw the joint together.

Cut Stubborn Parts

Corrosion and mineral deposits have an amazing power to lock parts together, making them almost impossible to disconnect. Often, the best solution is to cut the stubborn part. Either slice it off or cut kerfs in the part so you can break it off. A hacksaw blade works well. Oscillating or rotary tools work even better.

Choose Caulk, Not Putty

Despite the name, lots of plumbers never use plumber’s putty. It damages some types of plastic and stains surfaces such as natural stone. Plus, it tends to dry out, crack and allow leaks. Silicone caulk is a safer, longer-lasting sealant in most areas where you might use plumber’s putty.

Dope Everything

Thread sealant (aka ‘pipe dope’) is formulated to seal threads. But it’s great for almost any connection, even if the threads don’t form the seal. Use it on compression fittings, ground fittings and rubber seals. Because it’s slippery, it allows connections to slide together correctly for a good seal. And, if you use a type that doesn’t harden, disassembly and repair will be easier years later. Some types of dope harm plastic parts, so check the label.

Don’t Fight It, Replace It

If you feel a groove where the O-rings mate to the spout, the faucet is toast. Don’t waste any more time and energy on O-ring repairs—you’ll never get a long-lasting seal. Replace the faucet.

Get a Better Grip

Use a hex socket and valve grinding compound to avoid stripping the setscrew.

Squeeze the hex socket deep into the setscrew with one hand and pull the ratchet handle with the other. Then loosen the setscrew with a quick yanking motion.

Do your home plumbing the right way

Easily solve any basic plumbing issue by knowing what to do. Follow these tips and know the steps to solving basic plumbing woes so you won’t need to call for help and pay for their service. Wouldn’t it be fulfilling to know the ins and outs of the system in your house? Here are some basic tips and instructions for common issues.

1. How to Fix a Leaky Faucet

Save water and stop leakages in your home by knowing how to fix leaky faucets. It’s not as hard as you think. Here’s a quick tip: start with the handles. Sometimes, loose handles can cause leaky faucets. Simply tighten the area around the handles to get rid of the leak. This is one of the best plumbing tips around.

2. Fix a Clogged Sink or Tub Drain

You don’t need a drain cleaner to get rid of a clogged drain or sink. There’s an easy way to solve this type of issue. Get a plunger. Secure the drain/sink area with its suction and start plunging. This helps loosen the debris and get water trapped inside the pipes circulating again.

3. Replace Metal Drain Lines with Plastic

While metal pipes are stronger, I prefer plastic pipes. Plastic pipes are cheaper and they are easier to install too. A plastic pipe makes it easy to detect and troubleshoot leaks and other piping problems.

4. Remove the faucet this way

Don’t know how to remove a faucet? Do it just like how the plumbers do. This will require you to crawl under the sink, so get ready to get down and dirty. First, shut off all the valves to cut off the water supply to the faucet. Look for the retaining nuts that secures the faucet and remove them. Next, pull the faucet underneath the sink and through the mounting holes. It’s that easy.

5. Know what a Pop-up Drain Stopper is

The mechanical devices that use a system of links and levers to move a drain stoppers up and down is called a pop-up. This actually helps seal the toilet bowls and sinks.

6. Fix a Clog in Seconds

A clogged sink is problematic, but you can solve it easily with this nifty trick. Grab a thin wire and make a hook at the end of it. Drop it down the drain and simply pull. This helps you get rid of hair, paper, and other solid objects that get stuck down a drain. If the drain is big enough, you can use a wet/dry shop vac to get rid of clogs.

7. Know the difference between PVC and CPVC

Yes, they are different and not just because the other name has one more letter in it. CPVC pipes are a lot tougher and more durable than PVC pipes.

8. Don’t Overtighten Supply Lines

It’s actually risky to overtighten, compared to undertightening, your supply lines because it can destroy your rubber seals.

Don’t trust the “flushable” label

Don’t flush floss, tampons, or even so-called “flushable” wipes. They don’t break down like toilet paper does and can come back to haunt you later. “Toilets are more water-efficient now than they were 20 years ago, so there sometimes isn’t enough volume in the flush to force debris down,” says Marcin Wroblewski, president of ExpressRooter Plumbing in Toronto. “An object will get lodged in the trap and cause blockage when waste builds up days later.”

A burst washing machine hose is a top homeowner-insurance claim

I’d replace those flimsy rubber hoses with stainless steel ones. That way, you only need to worry about these other laundry mistakes that could ruin your next load of wash.

No bricks in the toilet tank

Some allege that putting a brick in the toilet tank can save water, but doing that can keep your toilet from flushing correctly. Another plumbing tip, avoid liquid drain cleaners. Liquid drain cleaners are also bad news—they eat away at the pipes. Try a plunger or, better yet, a $30 auger. Don’t have either?

Have a plumber over before you buy

Buying a home? Have a plumber scope your underground drain system with a camera to check for roots, collapses and other problems that typically aren’t visible to home inspectors. “Spending $300 on an investigation could save you tens of thousands later in insurance claims for flood cleanup, excavation, and pipe replacements,” Wroblewski says. In all home repair, pay attention to what your home is telling you. 

Watch out for long or shedding hair

If you’ve got a Rapunzel at home (or even a rapidly balding man), buy a drain strainer or a hair snare or tell them to use a paper towel to clear the drain. Soap can gum up the pipes, too, so use as little of that as you can.

Ditch the harsh drain cleaners

Using corrosive chemicals to dissolve a clog is like throwing a grenade down a gopher hole. Instead, Wroblewski recommends flushing your drains weekly with a half cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar. Let it fizz in the drain for ten minutes, then pour in four cups of boiling water. 

When it comes to pay…

Pay me by the job, not by the hour. This is one of the most important plumbing tips you can remember.

We might, if you ask

Yes, it’s against the rules to remove flow inhibitors from your showerheads, but some of us will do it if you ask.

Read your meter

Looking for an easy way to figure out why your water bill is mysteriously high? Shut off all fixtures, including the valve on your hot water tank. If the numbers on your meter keep moving, call a plumber—you might have sprung a hidden leak inside a wall or under flooring.

Don’t ignore drips and running toilets

Small drips can waste over eight gallons of water a day, and a continuously running toilet can waste more than 200 gallons of water, daily. If you ignore them, you’ll pay for it when your water bill arrives.

Find a licensed plumber

“Don’t assume that every Mr. Fix-it advertising his services in the local Pennysaver or on Craigslist is a licensed plumber,” says one New York plumber. There is no national standard for issuing licenses. Some plumbers are licensed by the state, others by the counties they work in. Check with your local city hall or chamber of commerce. They should be able to direct you to the appropriate source for a list of licensed plumbers in your are

Water damage is expensive

Water damage is the leading cause of home insurance claims, accounting for around 40 percent. Basement flooding and sewage backups, often caused by increasingly intense precipitation, are responsible for the most problems.