Do It Yourself: 5 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Fix Around The House And How To Do It
Many people are hesitant to even try to repair anything around their house, afraid they might make it worse or simply don’t know where to begin. Doing your own repairs can be easy and save you money. Here are five things you didn’t know you could fix around your house:
A Leaky Cartridge Faucet
If a cartridge type faucet leaks, take off the cap, the handle, the retaining nut and the retaining clip, then take the cartridge out. This might require a bit of elbow grease. After that, replace the O-rings in the cartridge. Make sure they’re identical to the old O-rings first. If they don’t work, you might need to replace the cartridge.
Tub That Doesn’t Drain
If the bathtub drains too slowly with the drain lever up, take off the stopper assembly. Turn the stopper counterclockwise a few turns to increase the height. Then, tighten the stop nut and replace the assembly. If that doesn’t work, consider buying a drain cleaner to pour down the drain, which will help remove anything that might be causing it to clog.
A Bulb That’s Broken Off in the Socket
Whenever you deal with electrical fixtures, you’ll need to turn the power off at the source. If a bulb has broken off in the socket, you can press a raw potato into what’s left of it and carefully twist.
Sticky Garage Door
One repair that can make the difference between a pulley type garage door that malfunctions and one that works beautifully is to simply tighten the cable. The cable is at the top of the door above the track. If it’s slack, you can simply twist the adjusting nut there to tighten it. You can buy cheap parts to fix your garage door instead of calling a professional.
No Hot Water From the Electric Water Heater
If you’re not getting hot water from the electric water heater, press the reset button in the upper thermostat and wait for 10 minuets. If there’s still no hot water, check the circuit breakers in the fuse box. If they’re on, use a voltage tester to see if there’s voltage in the input terminals of the upper heating element. If there’s none, you’ll need to replace the thermostat. If there is voltage, the element needs to be replaced. Both thermostats and heating elements can be found at big box stores.
These simple fixes can be easier than expected, and you can save a great deal of money.
Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She enjoys writing about finance, home and family, and much more. This article was co-written with Tommy Mello owns www.garagedoornation.com, a website specializing in wholesale garage parts. He enjoys sharing garage improvement ideas and maintenance tips.
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Category: Home Improvements
