One of the responsibilities for any parent is to make sure your kids are ready for adulthood. Once they are living on their own, it will be their job to perform all the upkeep jobs that go along with keeping up a home. You need to teach them things like how to replace a doorknob, how to install shelves, how to cook, and how to properly do laundry.
A great thing to teach your kid is some plumbing basics. It’s inevitable that a home will eventually experience some plumbing issues. By using your own plumbing issues as a teaching moment, you can prepare your kids for when they have issues of their own. Here are just a few plumbing basics you should pass along to your kids at the next opportunity.
How to Find a Local Plumber
Before we get into what your kid should know, the most important thing to know is when a job is too big for you. If you don’t feel comfortable doing a plumbing job on your own, your best bet is to hire a good local plumber. Hiring the right plumber is important for ensuring that you don’t pay too much, that the job gets done right, and that your home is safe.
Talk to your kid about what type of plumber they may need someday and how to read local reviews to find the best one. For some examples of the type of work you should leave to a plumber, rather than attempting them yourself, you can check out Fix It Right Plumbing [official site] here.
How to Unclog a Drain
Clogged drains are the most common plumbing problems. Sometimes we get clogged drains from too much waste in the kitchen sink, other times things like hair clog up the shower drain. When a clog happens, you have a few ways of handling it. You can either grab a plunger or a drain snake for seriously clogged pipes. Another option is to pour clog remover into the drain, which will break up some of the material that’s lodged in there. Finally, you may have to physically open up the pipes if you can’t unclog the drain and remove the obstruction that way.
How to Spot a Leak
Another important thing to know is how to spot a leak. If left untreated for too long, water leaks can cause a significant amount of damage, which will be costly to repair. Sometimes leaks are noticeable, such as when you see puddles on the ground or you can hear the water dripping. In other cases, the signs are more subtle. Tell your kids they’ll want to be on the lookout for water stains near the piping and any change in water pressure. While not always a sign of a leak, these signs are worth investigating once you notice them.
How to Fix a Leaky Faucet
A leaky faucet is a common problem that everyone should know how to fix. Not only is the sound of a dripping faucet annoying, but that small drip can actually waste a lot of water and cost you money. Luckily, fixing a faucet isn’t usually too complicated. You start by shutting off the water, then removing the existing handles, typically with a screwdriver.
From there you’ll want to inspect the O-rings inside the faucet, looking for any signs of wear or damage. If so, you will want to replace these. Besides that, you should then replace the cartridge inside. What type of cartridge you’ll need will depend on your faucet type. Once you’ve done all that, you can re-attach the handles and turn the water back on.
How to Shut Off the Home’s Water
If a pipe bursts in your home, this can quickly lead to a plumbing emergency. While you’re waiting for the experts to arrive, the best thing you can do is turn off your water to prevent the situation from getting worse. Every homeowner should know where their main water valve is and how to turn it off. If you don’t know where yours is, it’s typically located near the home’s water meter. Find it, then show your kids what it looks like. Then, when they purchase a home of their own, help them find their new water main so that they know where it is.
How to Install a New Showerhead
There may come a time when your kid wants to use a different shower head in their bathroom. This is a pretty basic job that isn’t hard to learn how to do. It’s just a matter of making sure the water is off, unscrewing the old shower head, applying some plumber’s tape, then putting the new shower head on. If you want to teach your kid how to do this, but aren’t sure how, here is a great guide that can help.
Pass on Your Knowledge
There’s a lot to know about running a home. By passing on some of your knowledge about homeownership, and particularly how to take care of the plumbing, you’ll better prepare your kids to be future homeowners. Hopefully, this guide helped, and your kids will be able to handle their own plumbing problems one day.
