Bathroom plumbing is one of those "dirty job, but someone has to do it". Many people prefer to pay a lot of money before having to get involved with all the pipe work that the bathroom entails. We at Decorating Visita Casas, as decorators, have had to learn many things about that office.
Sometimes, in order to be able to decorate properly, we must take into consideration which pipes are under us and in what position. That has made us learn a lot about the plumbing business, and the fact that it is a lot of work we could do it ourselves at home; why do not you put aside prejudices for a moment and learn a little from us?
Maybe this way, you can save a good amount of money in such a case that it will spoil a pipe and you are facing a leak.
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First of all, we recognize that the work of a plumber can not only become a job that requires getting dirty; it is also very complex, delicate and you need knowledge in reading very specific instruments. Usually, I prefer to do things myself in my house. I am one of the pioneers in the philosophy of DIY; but I must admit that the spectrum of tasks that a plumber should cover simply surpassed me.
So the tips you'll find below may seem very basic, however; everyone of them can help you save a lot of money. It is also good that you acquire this knowledge so that you are 100% aware of what the plumber is doing in your house, if you called one.
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Learning Bathroom Plumbing with Decorating Visita Casas
PlumbingFiltration, moisture spots, broken toilet, low pressure; problems can be easy or difficult to solve. What you can be sure of is that, every challenge you encounter will never be the same as the previous one.
But all problems have something in common; can cause losses of the most valuable resource that has humanity and that without which could not exist: water.
That is why, we should not underestimate the profession of plumbers and; so it is necessary that you continue reading this subject, so that you can stop a waste of water in your home.
Knowing Our Pipes System
Every plumbing system in a house has two basic elements:
• Provision
• Sewage Drain
In some systems, the supply is of hot water and cold water, identified with the colors red and blue respectively; and in others it is only cold water.
Whether it's a basin, a toilet or any other taps fixed to a sanitary slab or perhaps totally independent; all must be properly insured. You would be surprised if you knew how many leaks are caused by what was initially a simple tap faucet a bit loose. That small "dance" made by many of our faucets is the main cause of a leak in the bathroom that could damage a wooden cabinet.
The majority of the problems that we find in the baths and that involve a filtration, do not come from the sewage drainage; but of the waters that feed the taps. Therefore, although at times it may seem a bit intimidating task; this type of repairs should be done by removing the sanitary slab from the wall.
It is true that the image we have of the typical plumber is: a lying down person struggling with a leak and squeezing a pipe. However, such cases occur when the sink system presents "easy" access by its bottom. In bathrooms, the correct plumbing is performed by removing the sanitary slabs (handwashing, toilet, etc.)
Only in this way can we fully see and access the elements that compose it from the bottom.
Repairing a Faucet
A water faucet consists of five key elements:
• Crank
• Shank
• Blow Press
• Valve
• Peak
The stem and valve are the soul of every fitting; a wear or tear in any of them is the main cause of the water still flowing despite having closed the crank.
Although some can live quietly with that leak night after night; we at Decorating Visita Casas correct it by completely disassembling the faucet and rectifying the tap seat.
Faucet Repair Materials
• Two wrenches or a wrench and a tube wrench are required
• Plumber Milling Machine
• Screwdriver
• Water-based silicone lubricant
When removing the water slab from the sanitary slab, we will notice that the pieces are in small and even delicate ends. That is why the use of tools must be made keeping in mind that if we really want to save money and do it ourselves; we must be careful or else we will have to buy all the new faucets.
Using both keys we will have access to the rod and, using the screwdriver, we can remove the tow press. This is where we can usually see 3 o'ring and, inside the most part where the stem was, our seat taps.
Leaks occur for two things: the type of water we have and the type of pipes that were used.
The pipes that should be used for the water supply of our faucets should be copper. When we have hard water in our house, if the pipe is made of galvanized iron, then over time these will corrode due to the accumulation of minerals.
We can deduce that a pipe has already corroded, when the water pressure is very weak, the next level of that type of problem is: An internal filtration.
In faucets, hard water minerals are stagnant in the faucet seat and, due to friction with the rubber fitting, wear out and do not seal properly when making contact. Using the plumber milling machine on the seat is what allows us to correct those unevenness in the seat.
Changing the o-rings guarantees a watertight seal that will stop the flow of water and, the lubricating silicone, being water-based is non-toxic; this is what increases the useful life of the whole system of the faucet.
Other Faucet Problems
It often happens that cold water flows on a regular basis, however; the flow of hot water every day seems to decrease
Are we facing a water pressure problem in all the pipes in the house?
That is one of the alternatives, but in the rest of the taps the hot water circulates in a normal way? If so, then the fault is much more localized.
Many times, due to accumulation of residue, the rubber fitting is attached to the faucet seat; although we externally turn the key, the stem continues to deny the flow of water. Sometimes the Valve even "disintegrate" especially in the old houses, this residues prevent that the water flows; even that appears before us with small particles of iron (because the copper does not usually give this type of problems)
Be able to check the status of the entire faucet and recognize the problem; is what helps us to save on expenses and feel that satisfaction of having done it ourselves.
Knowing the Sewage Drain
Sewage drainage is undoubtedly the area of plumbing where nobody wants to get in; that is why plumbers raise their prices.
The truth is that the operation is very simple and correcting problems like reflow odors or a plugged pipe is simpler than you think.
Why does reflux occur?
Although water siphons may have different shapes, they all work under the same principle.
They have a receptacle where the water accumulates in order to prevent the odors coming from the primary drain to return to our environment. The pool is designed to accumulate water flowing from the secondary sewage; because the primary drain pipe is always wider than the secondary drain pipe, the water pressure causes it to flow to the side where it encounters less resistance.
When the primary drainage is not below the level of water that accumulates in the pool, it is there that the reflux of odors occurs. If the secondary drain is of the same diameter as the primary drain, it is there when there is reflux of water.
Therefore we must visualize our cloacal system as what they are: two sets of pipes, one wider than the other.
The hair mixed with the residue of soap and shampoo; toilet paper and any other residual element that can reduce the diameter of our first drainage, in the long term, will cause problems.
The Best Material for Sewage Drainage
Today, sanitary polypropylene is the best material for drainage. Unlike PVC, it allows to rectify the installation due to the bonding procedure that follows.
The transition of materials is much simpler than with iron pipes and, unlike the old materials; comes very well waterproofed. Do you know exactly whats the kind of material of the pipes in your bathroom?
I love writing about interior design. I am in love with achieving harmony at home to improve the well-being of my family. I usually write for the "Visitacasas" blog, both in Spanish and English, and personally answer the questions about home decoration of all our users.
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