Big Savings From Small Jobs

A costly drip. As long as the faucet drips, the needle on the water meter turns, racking up a bigger bill for the homeowner. Stopping a drip from an old-fashioned stem faucet is one job that most homeowners have learned to do. Fixing more sophisticated modern faucets is no more difficult—and prepares the owner for remedying a whole host of other plumbing problems, thus accomplishing a double saving: lower water bills and no cost at all for plumber's labor.

Almost any job seems difficult the first time you do it, whether it is making an omelet or putting a new cord on a lamp. The same is true for working on your house plumbing. A dripping faucet is a rudimentary problem that can be baffling; you must figure out how to get it apart—often the trickiest step of the operation—and what part is at fault. But once you have learned to cope with the everyday problems that beset sinks, toilets and tubs, you will save money and the inconvenience of waiting for a plumber to come.

Some jobs in the bathroom or kitchen a plumber may not do at all, such as replacing a broken tile or a cracked soap dish. Many other repairs are so simple that today's highly paid master plumber is reluctant to take them on; his time is more profitably spent on large projects. Even those who think of themselves as all thumbs can master the steps involved in basic plumbing repairs.

There are a few elementary guidelines that make the task easier.

• Work slowly and be patient.
• Turn off the water supply.
• If you are working on a faucet, close the drain to keep screws and other small parts from falling in.
• When you dismantle the parts of a fixture, line them up in the order and orientation of disassembly so you can put them back together more easily without wondering which way a part faces.
• Do not force a part "frozen" by corrosion; apply a few drops of penetrating oil, wait a while—overnight if necessary—and try again.
• 
  
  
  face=Tahoma>Inspect parts for signs of wear or corrosion while you have a fitting disassembled. Replacing a worn part avoids future trouble and the necessity of dismantling the fixture or fitting again.
• Keep on hand a supply of common replacement parts—faucet cartridges, washers, washer screws and 0-rings. That way you avoid the bother of a special trip to the store and the nuisance of having to leave the water shut off while you are out matching the faulty part.

Finding the right replacement parts may be the most troublesome part of a plumbing repair. The best source is a plumbing-supply store, which will have a larger stock of fittings and more knowledgeable salespeople than a hardware store or housewares store. Generally it is better to buy parts made by the manufacturer of your fixture; in many cases it is essential, for no others will fit.

Be prepared for frustration in the search for replacement parts. There is no standardization in fittings and fixtures, as there is in piping; many manufacturers make several types of faucets, all different. And since such equipment may last for decades, you are likely to find yourself with a model for which parts are no longer available. If you cannot find a needed part, replace the fitting—the job is surprisingly simple and you gain in convenience and appearance

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