Things To Know When Plumbing A Bathroom

How to Avoid Disaster when Plumbing a Bathroom

The most important thing to remember when plumbing a bathroom is to get the help of an experienced plumber! When things go wrong with plumbing, they go very wrong – often ending in a lot of tears and a lot of money to fix the problem as well as the damage caused. Plumbers spend years working and learning about how to plumb a bathroom so that all the fixtures work perfectly and there are no problems further down the line. Even if you have only a small budget, rather get a good plumber to do all the preliminary work and piping for a day or two and save money in other ways.

However, if you do want to save when plumbing your bathroom, there are a few simple things you can do to ensure that your dream bathroom doesn’t turn into a nightmare plumbing project.

Know where your shutoffs are (and use them)
The first thing you should do before starting on your DIY bathroom plumbing job is to find your water shutoffs and turn off the water supply to your bathroom. Not only will this make the job easier (for obvious reasons) but it will also help you out if there is ever an emergency that requires you to switch off your water supply.

Plan your plumbing
One of the most frustrating things for any plumber (professional or DIY) is having to go back into the plumbing and add, move or remove pipes and fixtures a second, third or even fourth time. These patchwork jobs can cause a lot of issues later on so it is imperative that you have a plan before you start plumbing your bathroom. And this doesn’t just apply to the bigger picture, but also to each individual job or fixture. Knowing what materials and tools you will need before you start is essential to saving you time and money. Just like the saying goes – measure twice and cut once.

Do a little research
While you may never know as much about plumbing a bathroom than an experienced plumber does, it will help you immeasurably to do a little research (and practice) before you dive head first into your bathroom’s plumbing. Find out how basic plumbing systems work, how the fixtures in your bathroom need to be installed, how to solder pipes together, the basic plumbing outline of your home etc.

Don’t dump building waste down the sink or toilet!
Often, drains and pipes can become blocked from just the everyday waste that goes down them – hair and soap buildup being two common contributors. But once you start chucking anything else down there, you could end up with a massive problem on your hands. Things like paint, wall-fillers, adhesives, or caulking can all cause your plumbing to become blocked when the heavier particles settle in the bends and traps of your pipes and harden. Rather, collect your building waste in a box or packet (the packaging that some fixtures come in is ideal) and dispose of it at the end of your job in a dump or trash can.

Know when to call your trusty plumber
Don’t get caught up in a small problem that will turn into a disaster. Know that sometimes you could be doing more damage to your plumbing than good. Have a good plumber’s number on hand so that if you feel like you’re drowning in your project you have some backup.