Plumbing Repair Tips

Save time and money with these helpful plumbing maintenance and repair pointers.

Shutting Off Your Water Meter

Every homeowner should know how to shut off the water to their home! Many times, there is an easily accessible shut off valve located on the main water line where it comes into the home.

Unfortunately, this house shut off valve is sometimes difficult to locate or doesn’t work correctly (especially for older homes).

If this is the case for your house, you should know how to shut off the water to the property at the water meter.

In this video, Master Plumber Theron Young demonstrates how to shut off the typical North DFW water meter with a water meter key.

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1. Locate the water meter. The meter is usually located near the property line near the curb, sometimes in front of the home near the curb. The meter will typically be housed in an underground rectangle box or a round can.

2. Remove the lid that exposes the meter. (Use meter key from hardware store if lid is locked.)

3. Locate the angle stop (usually rectangle in shape, approximately 1″ long and ½” thick and has a ½” eye hole connected to it.)

4. Use the meter key and turn the angle stop clockwise until the tabs line up with each other.

5. If the house has a hot water recirculation system, be sure to unplug the pump to prevent damage. (This pump is usually near the water heater.)

Replacing Your Shower Head

If your shower head is old and needs to be replaced, this is often something you can do yourself with a few basic tools. There are some important steps to follow, though, to make sure there are no leaks.

Many people are also unsatisfied with the flow of water coming out of their brand new shower head because they have lower water pressure to the home and are unfamiliar with shower head flow restrictors.

In this video, Journeyman Plumber Cole Ewton takes you through the ins and outs of installing a new showerhead by yourself, what the flow restrictor is, and how to clean debris out of an older shower head.

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1. Unscrew old shower head from shower arm.

2. If the house has low water pressure, remove the internal flow restrictor of the new faucet.

3. Make sure shower arm is not loose in the wall.

4. Wrap Teflon tape in a clockwise direction on the threads of the shower arm. (Some shower heads with rubber washers can skip this step.)

5. Thread new shower head onto the shower arm and tighten by hand.

6. Tighten a quarter of a turn with a wrench and test for leaks.

Cleaning a Clogged Aerator

Sometimes, poor flow from a bathroom or kitchen faucet is simply caused by a clogged aerator. This little device installed in the faucet spout is responsible for making sure the water comes out in a gentle, clean stream.

When this aerator gets clogged with sediment or calcium buildup from hard water, it frequently causes the pressure to drop significantly at that faucet. It’s always a good idea to check this first before calling a plumber. If there is buildup inside the aerator, this is often something that you can take care of yourself!

In this video, a Legacy licensed plumber explains how to remove different styles of aerators and the right way to clean them.

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1. Identify style of aerator on the faucet. Most are removable by simply unscrewing them with your hand or pliers. Some may be recessed into the spout which may require a special tool.

2. After removing aerator, inspect it for debris. If debris exists, clean it using water. Parts may be need to be separated to clean.

3. If the aerator has hard water buildup it can be soaked in vinegar for cleaning.

4. Before reinstalling aerator, check faucet to ensure proper pressure (be careful for splash back).

5. If pressure is sufficient, reinstall the aerator and continue use.

Unjamming Your Garbage Disposal

If you own a garbage disposal, chances are it will jam up at some point during normal use. (Of course, the best way to prevent clogs and jams is to learn what not to put down the disposal.)

Once this happens there are a few important steps to safely unjam the disposer. Many times, this can be done in a few minutes without special tools

In this video, seasoned plumbing Logan Gnerlich steps you through the process from beginning to end – sharing some sanity-saving tips along the way like how to reset the internal breaker.

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1. Unplug disposal

2. Use flashlight to look into the drain of the sink to identify any foreign objects in the disposal that may be causing the stoppage. This is much easier if your disposal has a removable splash guard.

3. Use long pliers to remove any identified foreign objects.

4. Place disposal tool or Allen key in center hole of of disposal. Work back and forth until disposal moves freely.

5. Locate reset button and press to reset disposal.

6. Turn on disposal and water to ensure disposal is unjammed. Repeat steps if needed. Be sure to check for leaks under the sink before continuing normal operation.

Venting Your Gas Water Heater Properly

If you have a gas water heater, it is vital that you understand how it is designed to vent. Gas water heaters produce a small amount of carbon monoxide that is released harmlessly into the outdoors when the vent is connected in the right way.

If the venting was installed incorrectly or if it became disconnected for some reason, this carbon monoxide can pose some serious health concerns if left unfixed.

In this video, plumbing specialist Sean Reecer breaks down all the key points you need to know as a homeowner to make sure your water heater continues to vent safely and run efficiently.

Replacing Your Toilet Flapper

Many times, a leaking toilet goes unnoticed for quite some time. This can use a surprising amount of water and have a noticeable impact on your water bill.

This can often be fixed by changing out the flapper on your toilet. There are many different styles of flappers out there, and a seemingly simple job like this can turn into quite a big frustration if you’re not careful.

In this video, Legacy Journeyman Plumber Enoch explains some different aspects of how a toilet works and how to install a basic universal flapper the correct way.

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1. Flush the toilet and remove the flapper chain from the tank lever.

2. Unhook the pivoting part of the flapper from the plastic flush valve pegs.

3. Check flush valve sealing surface to make sure it is clean and there are no grooves.

4. Install compatible flapper (usually 2″ or 3″) to the flush valve by hooking the pivoting part to the flush valve pegs.

5. Adjust chain hook to the right length so that there isn’t much slack in the chain and the chain isn’t too tight. Hook the chain to the tank lever.

6. Test the flush and adjust the timing if needed. (Some flappers allow you to adjust how long it stays up during a flush through a dial or moveable foam float.

Lighting a Gas Water Heater

A gas water heater typically relies on a small, standing pilot flame to stay lit all the time. This pilot light is what ignites the main burner every time the water heater kicks on.

When that pilot light goes out by a heavy gust of wind or a temporary gas outage, the pilot will need to be relit for the water heater to work correctly.

In this video, Master Plumber Sean explains how a water heater pilot should be lit safely and what to expect from the process.

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1. Turn main knob (smaller knob) on the top of the thermostat to the “pilot” position.

2. Press knob down and hold it for 30-45 seconds while pushing the ignitor button multiple times to create a spark inside the burner chamber.

3. Once the pilot is lit and remains lit for 30 seconds or so, let up on the know and stop pressing the ignitor button.

4. Once you turn up the temperature knob (larger knob on the front of the thermostat), you should hear the burner kick on.

5. Set the temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If the burner does not kick on when the temperature is turned up or the pilot doesn’t stay lit, further troubleshooting will be required.

Water and Sewer Static Testing

Have you ever wondered whether one of your water or sewer lines was leaking under your slab foundation? You may have heard the terms “plumbing static test” or “hydrostatic test” when buying or selling your home and wonder what that is all about.

In this video, expert plumber Canon Patchell breaks down the process of a basic water and sewer static test in a way that is thorough, concise, and easy-to-understand. Every homeowner with a slab foundation should watch this to learn more about and demystify this basic plumbing diagnostic process.

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Plumbing Repair Tips

Save time and money with these helpful plumbing maintenance and repair pointers.

How to Unjam a Garbage Disposal

HOW TO SWAP A SHOWER HEAD

How to Clean A Clogged Aerator

How To Shut Off the Water

How to Replace a Toilet Flapper

How to Light a Water Heater

Water / Sewer Static Test

Gas Water Heater Venting