Have you just moved into you new home? Congratulations! Owning your own home is marvelous, but it does have a few drawbacks that living in an apartment doesn’t. For one thing, everything from winterizing your the plumbing to residential a/c repair is your responsibility. Fortunately, there are many household repairs you can and indeed should do on your own. You’ll not only experience pride in your accomplishments, but you’ll save a great deal of money. Here are five most common household repairs.
1. Fixing a Leaking Stem Faucet
Stem faucets are the old-fashioned kind that have washers, and washers are going to wear out after time. If you find that your new washer wears out fairly quickly, you might need to replace the valve seat as well. Both jobs are easy to do.
Take off any escutcheon or shield that’s on the handle.
• Use a screwdriver to take out the handle. Lift it straight out.
• Take out the packing nut with tongue and groove pliers, then screw out the valve stem.
• The washer is at the bottom of the stem. Replace the washer and the O-ring with new ones.
If you need to replace the valve seat, you’ll need a valve seat tool, which you can find in a hardware store. To smooth out the seat, insert this tool, and turn it clockwise with some light pressure. Then, vacuum out the metal filings. Wind new packing round the stem, then install the packing nut and the handle.
2. Stopping a Toilet From Continually Running
A toilet tank that runs all the time but still doesn’t fill the tank might have trouble with the handle, trip level, guide arm or the flush ball. If the handle is loose, it will need to be tightened. The trip level or guide arm might be bent or broken and may need to be straightened or replaced. Also, the trip lever and the guide arm might be misaligned so the flush ball isn’t raised to the proper height.
If the tank fills up but the water still runs, the ball might not be seated properly. This might be because it has water inside it. Remove the water from the ball.
3. Repairing Window Air Conditioning
There’s much you can do yourself when it comes to window a/c repair. For example, an air conditioner that drips from the front may not have been installed at the right angle. Shut off the power and check to make sure that the outer part of the cabinet slopes toward the condensate drain. Make sure the drain itself isn’t clogged.
4. Fixing a Crack In a Basement Wall
Enlarge the crack with a cold chisel. Make sure the edges are undercut so the plug can’t come loose. Mix the plugging cement and then work it into the crack with a trowel. When then mortar sets, pack the crack full, then shave off the excess with a putty knife.
5. Fixing a Stuck Window
If then window is stuck because of paint, run a box cutter between the sash and the stop until it comes free. If the window is stuck because of binding between the stops, separate them by tapping along their length with a wooden block and a hammer. Afterwards, lubricate them with paste wax or even a bar of soap.