Plumbing systems are integral to any household. When you experience plumbing problems, your first instinct may be to call a local Plumbing Company in Santa Rosa. Indeed, some issues with your plumbing should be left to a professional, but you can solve several common issues on your own.

DeJusto Plumbing has illustrated a few common plumbing problems and how to fix them below.

Leaking Taps

Leaking taps can do a number on your water bill.  Although inconvenient, you don’t necessarily need to call a Plumbing Company in Santa Rosa for this issue. 

Your first move is to find where the leak is coming from on your tap. This will determine what you need to do to repair your leaking tap. 

Leaking Spout

If your leak is coming from the spout of the tap, you may need to replace the tap washer. 

Before attempting to replace your washer, you’ll need to find out what kind of valve tap you have. The two most common types are:

1. Compression Valve Taps

These valve taps use rubber washers that sit at the base of the valve to form a seal. 

Compression Valve Tap

Replacing a Compression Valve Tap

1. Turn off your water.
2. If your tap has a “handle cap,” gently remove it to reveal the screw. Otherwise, unscrew to remove the tap’s handle, then remove the rest of the valve cover.
3. You will need an adjustable spanner to loosen and remove the compression valve.
4. While holding the adjustable spanner, use a screwdriver to remove the screw that keeps the washer in place.
5. Remove the washer and replace it with a new one. 
6. Finally, screw the valve, cover, and tap handle back into place. Re-fit the handle cap if you have one. 

2. Ceramic Disc Valve Taps

Ceramic Disc Valve Tap

Ceramic disc valve taps, often found in newer plumbing systems, use ceramic discs.

Replacing a Ceramic Disc Valve Taps

1. Turn off your water.
2.  Expose the top of the valve by removing its handle caps.
3. With an adjustable spanner, loosen and remove the ceramic disc valve.
4. Remove the valve. Replace the valve.
5. Secure the valve and handle caps into position. 

Leaking Under the Handle

Tap O-ring

Water leaking from underneath your tap’s handle indicates a problem with the tap valve O-ring. 

Replacing a Tap Valve O-Ring

1. Turn off your water. 
2. Remove any handle caps. Unscrew your tap to remove the valve cover. 
3. Remove the valve.
4. Gently remove the O-ring with a screwdriver. 
5. Use a gentle rolling motion to bring it into position.
6. Place the valve in the tap and reassemble. 

Leaking Under the Spout

If your leak is coming from your tap’s spout, you need to replace its O-ring.

Replacing a Spout O-Ring

1. Turn off your water.
2. You will need to go below the sink. With a box spanner, loosen the connective nut that links the tap to the sink. 
3. Turn the tap to face you. With a screwdriver, remove the small grub screw.
4. The spout O-ring is a rubber ring at the bottom of the spout. Use a screwdriver to gently remove it, then roll its replacement into position. 
5. Replace the spout by lining it up with a groove in the tap body.
6. Place it in position. Secure it into place by tightening the grub screw.
7. Tighten the connective nut under the sink.

Clogged Sink Drains

When washing dishes, food and grease buildup in your sink’s pipes can cause them to clog. Repairing a clogged sink does not require the help of a Plumbing Company in Santa Rosa, as you can perform these easy fixes on your own. 

There are several ways to unclog a drain, many of which use common household items and easy-to-purchase chemicals.

• Boiling Water

1. Scoop out as much standing water from the sink as you can. 
2. Pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain. 
3. When it has cooled, remove standing water. Pour the hot water again.

• Baking Soda and Vinegar

1. Scoop out as much standing water from the sink as possible. 
2. Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain.
3. Follow with 1 cup of white vinegar.
4. After 20 minutes, pour 2 cups of hot water down the drain. 
5. Repeat as necessary. 

• Drain Clog Removers

Drain clog removers such as Drano can be easily found at your local shops. 

1. Remove as much standing water from the sink as you can.
2. Pour the recommended amount of drain clog removers down the drain. 

• Drain Snakes
  Drain Snake

Drain snakes are long, flexible metal cables with coils or drills on the end for breaking up clogs. These are better used for removing solid blocks in your sink. 

1. Drain as much standing water from the sink as possible.
2. Remove your drain trap.
3. Slowly feed the drain snake down the drain. 
4. Use short pulling motions to break the clog, then pull it up from the drain.
5. Follow up with boiling water or drain cleaner.

Running Toilets

Parts of a Toilet

Running toilets are a huge water-wasting problem. Although it may sound complicated, there are a number of methods you can use to try and fix a running toilet on your own before reaching out to a Plumbing Company in Santa Rosa. 

Your running toilet may be suffering from a bad fill valve, an overflow pipe at the wrong height, or a leaky flapper. Below are some solutions to these problems.

Examine the Flapper

1. When you hear the water running, use a stick to push down on the flapper and wait for it to stop.
2. If it stops, you’ll know the flapper isn’t properly sealing and needs replacing.
3. Make sure the fill tube is at least 1/2 inch shorter by measuring its length across the water’s surface.
4. Turn off the water supply valve underneath the toilet before replacing the flapper.
5. After flushing the toilet to remove the majority of the water, remove the old flapper.
6. Purchase a replacement flapper of the same type and install it as directed on the packaging.
7. Make sure there is some slack in the flapper chain when it is attached to the flush lever arm.

Check for leaks in the fill valve

1. Search for a fill valve leak while flushing the toilet.
2. When the tank is filling, lift up the toilet float arm to check if the water stops.
3. To stop the tank from filling when the water level is 1/2 to 1 inch below the top of the overflow pipe, bend or adjust the toilet float arm.
4. Replace the fill valve as depicted if the leak persists.

Replacing Toilet Fill Valves

1. Switch off the water supply before flushing the toilet and sponging up any leftover water in the tank.
2. Lift out the old fill valve, disconnect the water supply line, and loosen the fill valve locknut.
3. Install the replacement fill valve in the tank, and then tighten the locknut by half a turn.
4. If the overflow pipe is still higher than the critical level mark even after the fill valve has been raised to its highest point, cut the overflow pipe shorter with a hacksaw until it is one inch below the fill valve’s critical level mark.

DeJusto Plumbing: A Trusted Plumbing Company in Santa Rosa

For all your plumbing concerns, turn to DeJusto Plumbing! We provide quality plumbing services in Santa Rosa, CA. Our expert plumbing technicians can provide solutions to your plumbing problems, whether they’re common or complex. 

Contact us today to find solutions for your plumbing needs!