Plumbing problems can be a huge nuisance; if a drain gets blocked or a pipe freezes, you may find yourself unable to cook, clean or even bathe until it is repaired. Fortunately, provided you arm yourself with the right knowledge, these problems can usually be resolved quickly and easily. Below you'll find advice on how to tackle two of the most common types of plumbing issues.

Frozen pipes

A frozen pipe can cause a number of problems. Firstly, it may prevent water from entering your home and thus cut off the water supply to both your kitchen and bathroom. Secondly, it could potentially burst (this is because water expands when it turns to ice, putting extra pressure on the pipe it is contained in) and cause significant water damage.

However, as long you identify and handle the issue promptly, you should be able to avoid a burst pipe. To determine the location of the affected piping, turn on the taps around the house; by checking which ones the water has stopped flowing from, you should be able to establish which part of your home the frozen pipe is in. If you're still unable to locate it, walk around the property, looking for any sections of piping which do not have lagging (a 'jacket' which insulates piping), are bulging (due to the expanded ice water inside) or are covered in frost.

After identifying the frozen pipe, the next step is to turn off the water mains and begin to thaw it out. You can usually do this with a heat lamp or a hair dryer. However, if you have any reason to believe that a section of the pipe has split or been damaged in some other way, under no circumstances should you use any electrical devices during the thawing process. Even a few drops of water leaking from the pipe could put you at risk of electrocution. If the pipe has hairline cracks, you can strap a hot water bottle around it instead.

Blocked sink drain

Blockages in your home's drains not only create unpleasant odours but can also make it every day tasks like washing dishes almost impossible. Luckily, in most cases, blocked drain clearing requires little more than the right tools and a bit of elbow grease.

The majority of blockages in bathroom and kitchen sink drains can be fixed using a plunger. Simply stuff a rag into the overflow hole (to prevent pressure from being lost), fill up the sink with a small amount of water and begin to plunge. Pull the plunger up and down quickly; this should be enough to dislodge the blockage.

If this method does not work, try the following approach; locate the waste trap underneath the sink, loosen the washers that keep it in place and remove it (make sure to put a basin directly underneath the pipes whilst doing this, to catch any dirty drain water that might spill out). Pour the contents of the waste trap into a bin and put it back in place, making sure to tighten the washers properly to prevent leaks. If there are no visible blockages inside this waste trap, the obstruction may be located in the piping behind the wall or in the flooring; if this is the case, you may need to contact a plumber to handle this issue for you.

Share