Simple Household Repairs
By: Import User
Updated: September 19, 2007
Long Overdue Repairs
Bathroom sink repairs
Sink stopper in the drain does not stay down when you pull on the lever. The gasket gets worn and needs to be tightened up. Turn the nut that holds the gasket. It is located under the sink where the rod goes into the P. O. plug (sink stopper lever). Do not tighten too tight; just enough to make it snug.
If the P. O. stopper is missing you can buy a new one or replace it with a rubber stopper. If you do replace it with a rubber stopper it will be easier to lose items down the drain. You can also buy a small screen to drop into the drain hole to keep things out of the drain.
Slow Water Flow
Do you have slow water flow in the kitchen sink? Remove the aerator from the end of the spout and clean it out. Some of you are probably saying that I have new plumbing in my house. If you are on city water the plumbing from the city is not new and debris can flow from those pipes and can clog up your aerator.
Check the aerator in the bathroom lavatory or wherever there is an aerator and clean them out. This should be done at least three times a year. Also, check your shower head as there is a filter screen built into the shower head right where it connects to the shower arm. Remove the shower head and clean out the screen. When replacing the shower head remove the old pipe caulking or Teflon tape and replace it with new Teflon tape.
Your clothes washer water lines have filter screens for the hot and cold lines going into the back of the washer. It is best to buy new screens instead of cleaning them. The screens have a hose washer attached to them to seal the hose from leaking. The old screens will not seal back as well as it was when it was new.
Some clothes washers have a built in filter screen where the hoses connect. Check there also. You should change the hose washer every time you disconnect a hose. Saves you a lot of time and grief because it could leak later.
Small ice cubes are coming from your icemaker in your refrigerator. This can be caused by slow water flow. Check the filter inside the refrigerator to see if it has been changed at the proper time. Check to see if there is an inline water filter placed in the line coming into the fridge. Has it also been replaced at the proper time. Check to see if the water supply line is connected to the main line with a saddle valve. It may be clogged with debris and needs to be cleaned out. If you have a flex line check to see if it might be kinked or clogged at the connections.
Water Filter Maintaince
Whole house water filters should be changed when recommended because they are full of debris and by not changing it at the proper time you are causing a worse problem than if you had not put in a filter at all.
To replace the filter, unscrew the cartridge, remove the old filter and replace it with the new one. But, before screwing the cartridge back together remove the "O" ring that seals the cartridge and lubricate the "O" ring with white lithium plumbing grease or high temp faucet stem lube grease. This will make the canister easier to remove the next time you change the filter.
If you have a hard time remembering when to change the whole house filter, log the time on your refrigerator door. That way you can change the whole house filter and the fridge filter at the same time. The refrigerator filter is just as important to replace as the whole house filter.
Check to see if you have an in line filter (a filter that is put into the water line that goes into back of the fridge.). Should you have an inline filter in water line, it is important to change it also. If you already have a filter in your refrigerator and one in your water line remove the one in the water line as you do not need both.
Refrigerator Maintenance
Keep baking soda in your freezer and refrigerator to keep the odors neutralized. Change every three months.
Check the temperature in the freezer and refrigerator compartment. The temperature for the freezer should be kept between 30 degrees and 0 degrees. Recommended temperature being 18 degrees. The temperature for the refrigerator setting is 30 degrees to 40 degrees. The temperature in your freezers and refrigerators can vary throughout the seasons. Humidity can affect how your refrigerator operates. The most important time to check is summer and winter. You can buy a freezer and refrigerator thermostat from home improvement centers, hardware stores, appliance stores, and appliance repair shops. Keeping track of these temperatures can save you money. A refrigerator and freezer works its best when the room temperature is 60 degrees.
If your refrigerator has cooling coils in the back that are exposed, make sure they are free of dirt. If not, clean them. Dirty coils will cause your refrigerator to overwork itself, another money saver.
Bathroom sink repairs
Sink stopper in the drain does not stay down when you pull on the lever. The gasket gets worn and needs to be tightened up. Turn the nut that holds the gasket. It is located under the sink where the rod goes into the P. O. plug (sink stopper lever). Do not tighten too tight; just enough to make it snug.
If the P. O. stopper is missing you can buy a new one or replace it with a rubber stopper. If you do replace it with a rubber stopper it will be easier to lose items down the drain. You can also buy a small screen to drop into the drain hole to keep things out of the drain.
Slow Water Flow
Do you have slow water flow in the kitchen sink? Remove the aerator from the end of the spout and clean it out. Some of you are probably saying that I have new plumbing in my house. If you are on city water the plumbing from the city is not new and debris can flow from those pipes and can clog up your aerator.
Check the aerator in the bathroom lavatory or wherever there is an aerator and clean them out. This should be done at least three times a year. Also, check your shower head as there is a filter screen built into the shower head right where it connects to the shower arm. Remove the shower head and clean out the screen. When replacing the shower head remove the old pipe caulking or Teflon tape and replace it with new Teflon tape.
Your clothes washer water lines have filter screens for the hot and cold lines going into the back of the washer. It is best to buy new screens instead of cleaning them. The screens have a hose washer attached to them to seal the hose from leaking. The old screens will not seal back as well as it was when it was new.
Some clothes washers have a built in filter screen where the hoses connect. Check there also. You should change the hose washer every time you disconnect a hose. Saves you a lot of time and grief because it could leak later.
Small ice cubes are coming from your icemaker in your refrigerator. This can be caused by slow water flow. Check the filter inside the refrigerator to see if it has been changed at the proper time. Check to see if there is an inline water filter placed in the line coming into the fridge. Has it also been replaced at the proper time. Check to see if the water supply line is connected to the main line with a saddle valve. It may be clogged with debris and needs to be cleaned out. If you have a flex line check to see if it might be kinked or clogged at the connections.
Water Filter Maintaince
Whole house water filters should be changed when recommended because they are full of debris and by not changing it at the proper time you are causing a worse problem than if you had not put in a filter at all.
To replace the filter, unscrew the cartridge, remove the old filter and replace it with the new one. But, before screwing the cartridge back together remove the "O" ring that seals the cartridge and lubricate the "O" ring with white lithium plumbing grease or high temp faucet stem lube grease. This will make the canister easier to remove the next time you change the filter.
If you have a hard time remembering when to change the whole house filter, log the time on your refrigerator door. That way you can change the whole house filter and the fridge filter at the same time. The refrigerator filter is just as important to replace as the whole house filter.
Check to see if you have an in line filter (a filter that is put into the water line that goes into back of the fridge.). Should you have an inline filter in water line, it is important to change it also. If you already have a filter in your refrigerator and one in your water line remove the one in the water line as you do not need both.
Refrigerator Maintenance
Keep baking soda in your freezer and refrigerator to keep the odors neutralized. Change every three months.
Check the temperature in the freezer and refrigerator compartment. The temperature for the freezer should be kept between 30 degrees and 0 degrees. Recommended temperature being 18 degrees. The temperature for the refrigerator setting is 30 degrees to 40 degrees. The temperature in your freezers and refrigerators can vary throughout the seasons. Humidity can affect how your refrigerator operates. The most important time to check is summer and winter. You can buy a freezer and refrigerator thermostat from home improvement centers, hardware stores, appliance stores, and appliance repair shops. Keeping track of these temperatures can save you money. A refrigerator and freezer works its best when the room temperature is 60 degrees.
If your refrigerator has cooling coils in the back that are exposed, make sure they are free of dirt. If not, clean them. Dirty coils will cause your refrigerator to overwork itself, another money saver.
