How To: Be a Plumber?

I’m a homeowner and I’ve never had to call a plumber. But I understand that it’s an unpleasant event, sort of like the end of the world because you’re talking about water coming out from under your sink or down in your toilet. If you own a house, then at some point you will need to know how to maintain your bathroom or kitchen plumbing as best as possible as well as fix any problems when they arise.

The first thing we’ll cover is drain cleaning and how to snake your drains yourself. There’s nothing quite like doing this job yourself and saving the money which would have gone to a ridiculous repair bill on a Plumber (or letting them break something trying).

So let’s look at metal and plastic plumbing pipes and then we’ll discuss how to snake a drain without a Plumber.

Metal Pipes: Brass, copper, galvanized, iron

Most metalwork in modern homes is going to be made of brass or copper. Galvanized steel piping was used decades ago but has been phased out as well as galvanized cast iron for the most part since the 1960s. Galvanized steel is basically a zinc alloy with a bit of copper added in which goes through a process where the pipe gets dipped into molten zinc.

This adds strength and corrosion resistance from chemicals which can weaken other types of piping such as plain steel or cast iron pipe. In addition to that, these metals are both ‘non-ferrous’ meaning they won’t rust like iron or ferrous metals. However, even though galvanized steel piping doesn’t rust it is still susceptible to corrosion which can weaken the metal over time (rusted cast iron pipes anyone?!). If you’re buying new plumbing for your home you’ll want to find out if it’s made of zinc electroplated brass or solid brass.

Steel Pipe:

Steel pipe needs special attention to be done correctly during installation but is not as bad as a cast iron pipe. It’s just something you have to watch out for when it comes to do-it-yourself projects around your house; especially if you’re installing new steel pipes and fittings yourself (for example, an outdoor hose spigot).

Cast Iron Pipe:

Until the 70’s or 80’s most all drain and wastewater piping was either solid cast iron or galvanized steel (again, zinc plated steel which still has some copper added). Unfortunately, this material rots easily because of the properties of the metal itself as well as rust from corrosion. The wall thickness of solid cast iron pipe is so great that trying to install it properly takes a lot of experience, tools, and time. It’s certainly possible to do it yourself but having done this before for another project I can tell you the old stuff is very stubborn!

Now that you’ve been briefed on corrosion, here are some tips for metal pipes:

1) Galvanized steel pipe-

If you have galvanized steel pipe it should be replaced as soon as possible by copper or brass. Galvanized steel is used when the cost is an issue. But once the piping starts corroding it needs to be replaced. Replacing this type of old piping isn’t too bad in comparison with cast iron. But still difficult in comparison to copper or brass without the help of a Plumber.

2) Cast Iron Pipe –

If the cast iron pipe you have is in good shape then it makes sense to leave it alone. Just be aware that this type of piping can get brittle over time. Because of the rusting process and could potentially cause problems later on. If you need to replace this material with something else. Make sure you select rubberlike piping because it requires no special care during installation.

3) Copper Pipe –

This is my personal favorite for indoor drain/wastewater lines, all outdoor spigot connections. Exterior penetrations outside your house (building under sidewalk!), etc. Because it’s easy to work with using standard tools and won’t rot! It also comes in various thicknesses so finding the right overall diameter. Without having too many connections to the larger pipe can be a challenge.

For all of these types of piping, you’ll need connectors which are either compression fittings or soldering/brazing. When it comes to steel, copper, and brass they’re pretty straightforward to cut. So there’s no need for special saws unless you have really large profiles. For cast iron, if you have very thick piping then consider getting a few different saw bits. So you don’t wear out one type too quickly trying to get through this material. Remember that each time you rotate your wrist. While cutting something your blade edge is going past the teeth on the blade leaving them duller over time. So try not to wear out just one blade by rotating your wrist too many times in one spot.

Conclusion:

If you’re considering plumbing work on your home without a Plumber. I hope today’s brief article helped point out the difference between metals used in pipe/fittings. In the future, I hope to go over how to make your own solder from different types of metals. But for today here are some additional links to check out if you want to do the work yourself.