A fixture refers to anything in a home that has water flowing to it. A toilet, a sink, a hot water tank, a dishwasher, a bathtub; these are all examples of plumbing fixtures. Plumbers know the importance of keeping our fixtures operating like they should. Blockages, clogs, back flow issues and drainage are all things that a running toilet at fixing on a daily basis. Water not moving around as it should poses problems in all areas of a home. Having an issue with water leaving your home can be disastrous as water finds its own level and will back up and possibly spill out, causing a major mess and potentially a lot of damage. Water not going into your home properly causes problems within the pipes and then in turn within the appliances and fixtures that use that water to operate.
Turn off the water to the water line repair heater or if the valve is not working turn off the water to the house. If the valve is not working it will need to be replaced. In a future article we will discuss how to replace your valve.
Leaks can occur anywhere in your reverse osmosis water filter system. If this ever occurs, check the source of the leak. It may be from the hoses, fittings and the valves. Most of the time, some kind of tightening might be necessary. So make sure to securely tighten the fittings. If this does not work, you may need to replace the filter itself, however that might take a bit more work.
Depending on your repair job you might need a bucket that will fit below the sink trap, as well as some rags and newspaper. Masking tape is useful for labeling and for wrapping around the heads of the wrench to protect your chrome tap handles. Rubber gloves are recommended, particularly when working with the toilet, but there are greases and glues that you may not want on your hands.
As with anything, when you are not sure how to fix a plumbing issue and when you don't have the proper equipment, you should contact a professional. They can usually find out what the problem is and resolve it for you in a short period of time. They will also be able to tell you if you have any other problems and water line repair they can suggest resolutions.
When doing the install on a water heater, keep an eye out for unconnected pipes. A commonly missed pipe is the one that leads out from the area for drainage. It is probably a recirculation pipe; that helps your water remain heated without wasting too much water.
Once you've located the water shut off, turn it off. Now, you can turn your attention to trying to contain the water damage caused by any leaking. Get towels, fans, blankets, or anything else to try and sop up water that is sitting on carpet or wood floors. Linoleum floors usually don't undergo much damage from having water sitting on them, unless there are cracks in the linoleum (often invisible) where the water can seep in. When your Queens plumber arrives, you will be one step ahead by following these instructions.