Plumbing

How To Plumb Yourself Out Of Trouble

Difficulty: Medium

These tasks may be tricky so will suit you if you’re experienced in DIY, or simply love a challenge. Before you get started on any of our ‘how to’ guides, please take a moment to read through our DIY safety tips.

Unblocking a waste trap

  • There are a few different types of waste traps. The most common are the ‘S’, ‘P’ and ‘shower’ traps. They’re all pretty similar and can be disconnected by removing the large nuts at the top and bottom of the trap to release them. Images show how to disconnect an ‘S’ trap.
  • Put a large bucket underneath the trap to catch any discharge. Unscrew the nuts.

Unscrew the nuts

  • To unblock the waste pipe, remove the trap and clear the blockage into the bucket.

Unblock the waste pipe

  • Check the rubber washers are in place and reconnect the trap back into position.
  • Finally, pass some water through the waste trap and check for leaks.

Changing a ball valve

  • Ball valves control the level of water in your cold water tank (which is usually in your loft). They can seize up over time. If the overflow pipe on the tank has water dripping or flowing from it, it’s a sign that your ball valve might need changing.
  • Firstly, shut off the mains water stopcock to stop the water flow to the ball valve.
  • Undo the nut connecting the supply pipe to the ball valve body.

Undo the nut connecting the supply pipe

  • There are two big nuts on the ball valve, either side of the tank wall, that hold the ball valve in place. Unscrew the back nut on the outside of the tank. You can then remove the ball valve.
  • Fit the new ball valve and screw on the back nut. Make sure the ball valve is secure by tightening the back nut with a pair of grips.

Make sure the ball valve is secure

  •  Replace the washer on the nut connection (the nut on the supply pipe) and tighten it.
  • Finally, turn on the mains stopcock and make sure there are no leaks.

Helpful hint…

Don’t over-tighten compression fittings. If you tighten them too much you might damage the internal seal and cause them to leak.

Changing a stopcock

  • A stopcock isolates your mains water supply. It’s a red turning handle (refer to image in step 2) and is usually in your kitchen or where the mains water supply enters your house. Sometimes a stopcock can seize up and become impossible to turn off. In this case, you must always replace it.
  • Firstly, isolate the water supply to your home by shutting off the water company’s valve that’s located in the street (refer to image in step 3).
  • You should find this valve underground, beneath a lid indicating it’s the water box. Lift this lid with a flat head screwdriver and shut off the stopcock. If you can’t find your stopcock, contact your water company for help.
  • Make sure the water supply is off by opening a mains pressure-fed tap (normally a kitchen tap) until there’s no water flowing from it.
  • Open both nuts on the stopcock and remove the stopcock body followed by the washers (or ‘olives’). You may need to cut through the old washers with a junior hacksaw if they won’t come off. But make sure you don’t cut the pipe.
  • Before installing the new stopcock, have a look on the body – you should see an arrow. This arrow must face the direction that the water flows into the house when you install the stopcock.
  • Place both sets of nuts and olives over the pipes and add a bit of sealant paste around the olives.
  • Put the stopcock’s body in place and tighten the nuts with a pair of grips. Use one grip to hold the body of the stopcock and the other to tighten the nuts.
  • Turn the water supply back on and check for leaks.

Fitting self-cutting valves

  • If hot and cold connecting valves aren’t fitted on your pipes, fit self-cutting valves whenever you do plumbing work around an appliance like a washing machine.
  • These come as a kit and can be attached to 15mm copper water pipes without having to turn off the water supply.
  • Choose a good spot on a section of your cold-water supply pipe near to the appliance it connects to.
  • Fix the back plate of the valve directly behind the pipe. The top piece is placed over this and the parts screwed together around the pipe.
  • Turn the valve to ‘off’ and screw it into the pipework. This will make a small hole in the copper pipe. Use two spanners to tighten the valve nuts.>
  • Screw one end of the flexible plastic hose connector to the end of the valve and the other end to your appliance.
  • Repeat these steps for the hot water supply if your appliance needs cold and hot water.
  • Finally, turn on the appliance to check nothing leaks.

Helpful hint…

When doing DIY in or around your kitchen sink, bath or basin, leave the plug in to stop dust and debris blocking the pipework.



Homebase

Homebase

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