DIY Bathroom Plumbing: 6 Common Bathroom Plumbing Jobs You Can Tackle Yourself
Carly Carey is a new mother and a third-year plumbing apprentice in Minneapolis—she’s about two years from taking the state test to become a licensed master plumber. As a member of Matriarchy Build, Carly is in good company: an all-women team of pros in the building trades... ...the online platform offers consultations by Zoom that teach people to tackle basic house projects themselves: read about the group and its offerings in Remodeling 101: Advice from Skilled Trades Women. To unclog sinks Carly recommends getting to know your p-trap, the often curved under-sink piping. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home. 1. Unclog a Bathroom Sink If you notice your sink is slow to drain, a straightforward way to unclog it is to remove the p-trap—the under sink piping that runs into the wall —and clean it out. If there’s no blockage in the under sink piping, the blockage is further down the line ad you’ll need a basic handheld plumbing snake (available at any hardware store) to remove it. A removed sink aerator ready for cleaning. Photograph by Lacey Soslow/ Matriarchy Build. Have you had a sudden drop of water pressure from a sink? Cleaning an aerator (or introducing a new one) is an easy way to make your bathroom greener. 2. Replace a Sink Aerator More Details: Go to Matriarchy Build’s How to Clean a Faucet Aerator for Carly’s step-by-step instructions and video. Photograph by Lacey Soslow/Matriarchy Build. When the water pressure starts to slow, consider giving your showerhead a quick cleaning. Screw off the showerhead and soak it in a bowl of white vinegar. Photograph by Lacey Soslow/Matriarchy Build. Vinegar removes mineral deposits and opens up the water holes. Photograph by Lacey Soslow/Matriarchy Build. Mineral buildup often plugs the tiny holes in a showerhead. Pro Tip: If you don’t want to remove the showerhead, pour white vinegar into a plastic bag and put the bag around the showerhead secured with a twist tie. Photograph by Nicole Franzen from Monochrome Luxe in Park Slope. A Brooklyn townhouse bathroom with rain shower designed by Branca & Co. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, a new showerhead can deliver better water pressure (while also conserving water by using less than your old one). Wrap new plumber’s tape around the threads of the shower arm and tighten on the new showerhead. A Fernlund + Logan shower from Nordic Beauty: A Brooklyn Townhouse Reinvented with Style—and Restraint. Photography Matthew Williams photo for Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home. As with sinks, if you find water pooling on the floor of your shower, you have a blockage in your drain pipes. Run the water to see if the drain is cleared. A toilet flapper is the black rubber element in the center of the tank Photograph by Lacey Soslow/Matriarchy-Build Is your toilet constantly running? To replace a flapper, turn off the water to your toilet, then flush the toilet to empty the tank. And make sure the chain to the flapper is the same length as the original. 6. Replace a Toilet Flapper You can book an online consultation with Carly at Matriarchy Build. Here are three online sources for plumbing supplies recommended by Matriarchy Build: