Loud sinks? Creaky pipes? Toothbrush down the toilet? If you’re unfamiliar with the term, ‘life hack,’ it’s just what all the cool kids are calling ‘tips’ nowadays. Here at Sun Plumbing of Melbourne, FL, we have plenty of plumbing tips and tricks up our sleeves, and we’re happy to share our knowledge. Remember, if in doubt call a professional plumber, though! Here are some plumbing tricks you can use to solve everyday plumbing problems. Although, hopefully you’re not dropping your toothbrush down the toilet every day.
Quiet Those Creaky Pipes
Copper pipes can expand, due to running hot water, causing them to rub up against pipe hangers and joists. So, wrap the pipes in adhesive-backed felt. Get thee to the hardware store, pick up some adhesive-backed felt, and cut it into strips. Then take down each hanger and wrap the pipe before refastening the hanger.
Silence Loud Sinks
If you’ve got a loud sink, there may be something you can do about it. Spray some expanding foam underneath, in between the two stainless steel sink basins. The foam kills the vibrations and deadens the noise. You could do this with the sink already in place, however applying the expanding foam before installation is much easier and neater. Just let it harden before you shave the surplus foam with a knife.
Down the Drain
If you drop a hard object like a toothbrush, toy, or cell phone down a toilet or drain, what do you do? A plunger will probably just push the object even deeper. So, use a wet-dry shop vacuum to suck out the water and the object.
Finding Hidden Pipes
Trying to locate a pipe under the floor can be difficult. So, use a strong magnet. Here’s how it works: attach a rare earth (neodymium) magnet to an electrical fish tape and feed it into the drain lines via the clean-out plug. You can find the magnet (and, therefore, find the pipe) under the floor using an ordinary household compass. You’ll know you’ve found the strong magnet when the compass turns wildly.
Bucket Flush
An ongoing plumbing project doesn’t mean you need to run to the neighbor’s bathroom. Fill 2-gallon buckets with water before turning off the water supply. Then you can flush the toilet by dumping the water into the bowl. One bucket equals one flush. It works just as well as a normal flush, although it will not refill the toilet bowl.
See Through the Walls
They say “It’s what’s on the inside that counts,” and if you’ve ever needed to find framing boards or the plumbing or electrical lines inside a wall, this phrase is especially true. So, if you are building or remodeling, take a picture before you close up the walls, ceilings or floors. That way, the next time you have to remodel or repair, you’ll know exactly where the framing and the electrical and plumbing lines are located.
