Easy-to-fix Plumbing Issues For The Do-it-yourselfer

Most householders are ignorant that the great majority of water heaters have a magnesium bar called an anode rod installed in their heater

. It can be identified by taking a look at the apex of the hot water heater for a hexagonal fitting. This rod is intended to help to keep the tank from corroding by simply thrashing it to the punch and corroding first. Nevertheless when the bar eventually corrodes and falls apart, your tank is the subsequent target for corrosion. Accept it or not, you can increase the life of your hot water heater significantly by making certain that this anode rod is replaced before it vanishes. A rough guide is to replace the rod each 3 to 4 years dependent on the corrosiveness of your water. If you do not have this hexagonal fitting on top of your hot water heater, ensure that the subsequent hot water heater does because it can most likely double the helpful life of your hot water heater saving you a lot of money.

The replacement of the anode rod is fairly simple and straightforward. Turn off the cold water supply to your water heater first. Next, turn off the gas line or the circuit breaker. Using a standard garden hose attached to the drain at the bottom of the heater, remove several gallons of water. Remove the anode rod with a pipe wrench or similar tool. Sometimes a long handled tool is necessary to get enough leverage to loosen the fitting.

Purchase a comparable anode rod at your local hardware store, home center or plumbing supply house. If a bendable rod is available, consider purchasing it to make installation easier if you have little headroom to work with. Remember, the old rod will probably be only a fragment of its original length and won't give you a true idea of the room you need to install its replacement. Before installing the new anode rod, wrap the threads with Teflon tape to create a better seal. Make a note of when you made the replacement on or near the water heater (my wife recently asked me when the I replaced the air filter on our furnace - I said it was just a few weeks ago - actually it was seven weeks earlier - time does have a habit of getting away from us).

Another problem that homeowners face with water heaters are occasional bumps and other strange sounds coming from their water heater. These noises are a result of steam that is being generated inside the water heater. This steam results from the flame heating accumulated junk resting on the bottom of the heater. The water lodged inside the junk becomes hot enough to create steam bubbles, which eventually rise and turn back into hot water. When these steam bubbles burst, they create those unpleasant sounds.

Sadly , if you have hard water, this junk as scale and sediment form reasonably quickly and have to be drained every couple of weeks. You want to put this job on the calendar ( you have a calendar? ) so time doesn't slip away. Virtually all hot water heaters have a drain near the base of the tank. Employing a standard garden hoe, drain off several gallons of water that should be stuffed with the already mentioned junk. When you finally replace the hot water heater, look for a model that has got a device in-built that decreases the volume of sediment that builds up.

Lime buildup is common in toilet bowls. The fix is easy. First, shut off the valve that supplies water to the toilet and then flush the toilet several times until it is empty. Soak paper towels with distilled white vinegar and lay them over the lime deposits letting them soak for a few hours. After removing the towels, use a scrub brush to remove any remaining lime sediment.

For the formidable, you can keep your home drains open by employing a recipe of a cup of bread soda, a cup of regular salt and a 4th of a cup of cream of tartar powder. You only need about 1 / 4 of a cup of this solution per drain, adding one or two cups of boiling water as a chaser.

Ah, the caulking between the tub and the wall. It appears that regardless of who does the job or what they use, cracks will finally appear. Before making repairs, fill the tub with water, which should weigh it down a little. Roll up your pants ( or whatever ) and apply the caulk. When you drain the tub, it moves upward a little, compacting the caulk and getting shot of the likelihood of ending up with new cracks the 1st time you use the bath.

by: Tim Jones.

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