Top Three Handy Ways to Fix Common Household Annoyances

With a little strategic thinking and the help of fairly inexpensive tools, you may be able to easily solve certain household problems on your own without having to call on your local Manassas plumbers. The following are three easy fixes, but be warned – leave the tough stuff to the experts!

Silencing Random Squeaks

Many homeowners tend to immediately call up one of the qualified Manassas plumbers at the slightest hint of a problem, including squeaks and vibrations arising from pipes or metal fixtures installed near each other. Commonly, for example, steel sink basins placed side by side may often produce vibrations that sometimes cause what is known as the ‘gong effect’. Moreover, pipes could also behave in the same way, especially during severe changes in temperature or when they are installed in physically weak spots in the house. For such cases, the best and cheapest way to remedy is to make use of expanding foam—spray the foam in between steel sink basins, for example, or between steel pipes. You can do this even if the fixtures are already in place, although you may have to trim off the excess with a knife.

Vacuuming Objects

Have you experienced accidentally dropping a solid, hard object into the toilet or drain, and by mistaken instinct, used a plunger to try to get it back? In fact, poor decisions made in such cases have been among the major reasons homeowners have to call in the services of the local Manassas plumbers. And while letting a plumber fix the ensuing damage is often wise to avoid further trouble, you could have prevented a problem in the first place if only you thought carefully before using that plunger. Instead, a wet and dry vacuum could come in handy—it’s perfect for picking up objects such as toothbrushes or toys out of a toilet bowl or even a deep drain. But take note of the words "wet and dry"—using anything else would not be appropriate for the water you’ll suck along with the object.

Thinking Ahead

The third tip should take out the guesswork from future repairs of your household plumbing or electrical wiring: take pictures of what’s inside your walls before you seal them off. If you do this, you will have a handy guide whenever some trouble arises and won't need Superman’s X-ray vision. Make no mistake about it—somewhere down the line, an electrical outlet or a major plumbing problem could, which will be serious enough to necessitate the services of one of the Manassas plumbers. And with the pictures you have taken, it will be easy to identify problem areas without having to tear down entire walls.

Sarah Saadoun works for HMS Plumbing, a family-owned business in Manassas, Northern Virginia. If you need Manassas plumbers, Herve and his dedicated employees at HMS are proud to be serving the plumbing needs of Northern Virginia residents and businesses. For reliable Fairfax plumbers HMS Plumbing is your first choice.