The water bill arrives and the consumption is higher than normal. In looking at the bill you realize it's winter time, your water consumption is down, but the bill says it is up as if its summer when your water consumption is higher. Then it hits you faucet repair a water leak! At some point almost all homeowners run into this problem.
If you find that the water line repair leak is in the supply line you will need to replace it or simply tighten it. Start by turning the water supply off and then flushing the toilet to get rid of the excess water. Now use the towels to dry the area so that it is easier for you to fix the leak. Use a wrench to loosen the hexagonal nuts on the supply line at the main end as well as the one which goes to the flush tank. Now use the replacement supply line which you have and tighten the bolt at the supply end first. Now adjust the length that you will need for the pipe to reach the flush tank. Once you adjust the length use a knife to cut the extra length and then tighten the hexagonal bolt at the other end.
One other common design that is considered "washerless" was made famous by Delta and copied by several other makers. It uses little "cup" seals that fit over springs recessed in the back of the valve body. The springs press these "seals" against the cartridge and regulate the flow through little tapered openings in the cartridge. If you have one of these and it's dripping, changing these springs and seals will usually correct it. Here's a tip. Once you have the cartridge out of the way, insert a phillips screwdriver into the seal and pop both the seal and spring out. Stick the new ones on the end of the screwdriver to help guide them into place. This is especially helpful if you don't have long slender fingers.
A plumber becomes a journeyman once they complete their apprenticeship program and they can apply to be licensed. Most of the plumbers today are in the field of journeyman. To get a license to be a journeyman, you need to pass an exam and pay a licensing fee.
Here are some general cautions. Do not begin jobs on holidays, weekends, or at times when plumbers raise their rates or are difficult to reach. Do start early leaving plenty of daylight to call a plumber if something goes wrong. Study the situation carefully. Think about what might happen if something suddenly broke and what the effects would be. Old corroded copper tubing might break in the wall when you are wrenching an angle stop that supplies the water line repair to your toilet. A flood in the wall could be costly. If the angle stop, on the other hand, is new and shuts off easily and you have another toilet in the house then it might make sense to repair the toilet yourself. Be honest, too. Are you handy with tools? Did you do well in shop classes in school?
If you plan to replace fixtures, you may be able to do this on your own. Buy the same style or functional fit and then turn off the water to make the switch. Follow the directions provided by the manufacturer to get the job done.
Water leak detectors can keep your home safe. They can give you the peace of mind knowing that you won't come home to a house full of water. It is a lot less expensive to buy a water detector than it is to pay thousands of dollars in home repair costs.