If you’re a home owner, you know that home maintenance is an expensive, never-ending job.
Most commonly, the biggest home maintenance issues are with the plumbing in the kitchen and bathrooms.
If you’re a DIY kind of person, you may be able to do any bathroom repair task easily.
For example, if you’re dealing with a clogged toilet, you can fix this without immediately spending money on a plumber.
Keep reading to discover the best tips on how to save money and easily fix common bathroom problems on your own.
1. Fixing a Leaking Toilet Base
If you notice leakage around your toilet base, it’s probably a problem with the wax ring within it.
But sometimes, leaking happens if the toilet isn’t attached to the floor properly. Try to tighten the bolts to see if it stops. If it doesn’t, the problem is in the wax ring.
If the ring hasn’t been replaced in a while, the water will overflow around the base. To install a new ring, you’ll need to remove the toilet completely.
You can do it yourself, but it’ll probably take you a couple of hours. Often, for toilet problems of this nature, it may be best to call a plumber.
2. Replacing Water Supply Lines
Older water supply lines are made of copper or plastic and don’t hold well. When they burst, you’ll need to replace them with braided stainless steel ones with brass nuts to attach them to the fixture.
To do so, shut off your main water line and drain all the water from the lines inside your home. Then, you can remove the old lines and add the new ones.
Test for leakage and drips after you turn the water on again.
3. Unclogging a Blocked Toilet or Sink
Clogged toilets are an unpleasant sight, but are a common place you might need bathroom repair.
You can use a toilet plunger, but if it doesn’t unclog the toilet, you’ll need a toilet auger to reach deeper.
Bathroom sinks can also get blocked by hair and soap scum.
To unclog them, remove the sink stopper and with a piece of hooked wire, try to fish out the clog. Then, run hot water for a couple of minutes to help dissolve any soap scum or dirt down the drain.
If water doesn’t run normally, the clog may be deeper in the plumbing.
4. Caulking Cracks
If you notice cracks, holes, or mildew in your bathroom caulks, your first thought might be to add another layer of caulk to cover up the dents.
However, you’ll need to recaulk the affected areas by removing the damaged caulk with a putty knife and razor scraper. Try to create shallow gaps that you can later line with caulk.
Rinse and let it dry completely before adding a new caulk layer.
5. Replacing a Flapper in the Flush Tank
When the water in the toilet tank keeps running, you most likely have a problem with the flapper.
First, turn off the water supply and flush the toilet.
Then, disconnect the chain attached to the flapper along with the side ears. Remove the flapper.
Place the new flapper in and connect it to the flush valve pegs. Connect the flapper chair and turn the water back on. Flush to test.
Bathroom Repair Tips and More
Now that you’ve read the best bathroom repair tips and tricks, it’s time to try them out.
Do you have any money-saving tips to add to our list? What are your go-to methods for these bathroom problems?
Let us know in the comments below and learn more about thrifty living on our site!