Residents routinely take plumbing fixtures for granted. Plumbing fixtures are indeed rather reliable, so the posture is justified. Yet, when faucets and toilets fail for some reason, unfamiliarity with them means that the plumber is called at a relatively high expense. Hence, to be less beholden to plumbers and their fees, the owner can benefit from learning about his fixtures and how to repair them. Moreover, most fixture repairs are well within the average homeowner\’s capability.

Common residential plumbing fixtures are sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, and bidets, each more or less comprising a container, faucet, controls, and a trap. Fixture problems that arise are usually leaks or drips in the faucet or trap, though sometimes one finds cross connections and faulty installation issues. The remainder of this article will delve into all these types and their defects.

Tubs, sinks, and bidets include temperature controls and faucets, along with a container that empties through a trap. Stand-alone showers also have faucets and controls but no container, and the virtually inaccessible trap is under a floor drain. In fact, much of the shower and tub plumbing is not easily accessed, being behind wallboard. Toilets lack faucets (and hot water intake) and their traps are built in.

Faucet parts do wear out eventually, leading to drips, leaks, or cracks; they often require replacement. Doing so can seem daunting at first because the number of choices is so vast. However, by approaching the task systematically, faucet part replacement is straightforward. First choose functionality (kitchen sink, tub, etc.) and then select mounting characteristics (number of holes and handles). Further choices involve manufacturer, material, style, and color. Ensure that your choice combination won\’t introduce a cross connection.

Sometimes plumbing fixtures have their hot and cold valves reversed. Fixing this means swapping intake lines, somewhat more involved than replacing washers. In the case of a shower (and possibly other fixtures), the faucet control may include a mechanism or switch enabling reversal automatically.

Cross connections are plumbing configurations that allow gray water to blend with and corrupt the water supply if negative pressure is applied. Examples are spigot ends dropping below the basin overflow level and portable showers submerged in tub water. Examples of mechanisms that break cross connections are washing machine standpipes and dishwasher air gaps.

Traps are important elements of plumbing fixtures. Their water seals keep sewage fumes from coming up through fixtures into the house. Traps are precisely engineered to accomplish self-scouring (replenishing the water seal) with each drain occurrence and to do so at the right velocity of flow. (Not so fast that the water seal is siphoned off and not so slow that debris and waste collect.) One needn\’t worry about traps unless they leak or the water seal fails, in which case replacing them is not that difficult.

Toilets are also precisely engineered fixtures, with the trap built into the bowl. They do develop leaks with age that are not always readily apparent. Check around the base for heavy moisture accumulation and also make sure the intake line doesn\’t leak. In fact, one should periodically check for intake, faucet, and trap leaks for all fixtures.

Becoming familiar with plumbing fixtures empowers the homeowner to tackle common defects, saving the hassle and expense of calling a plumber for the serious problems.

John W. Gordon is a licensed Bellingham home inspector servicing northwest Washington State. He has years of experience inspecting residential systems and components, including plumbing fixtures. Extensively detailed information is available at www.HomeInspectionWA.net.

John W. Gordon is a licensed Bellingham home inspector servicing northwest Washington State. He has years of experience inspecting residential systems and components, including plumbing fixtures. Extensively detailed information is available at http://www.HomeInspectionWA.net.

Author Bio: John W. Gordon is a licensed Bellingham home inspector servicing northwest Washington State. He has years of experience inspecting residential systems and components, including plumbing fixtures. Extensively detailed information is available at www.HomeInspectionWA.net.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: plumbing fixtures,plumber,home inspector,home inspection, cross connection,faucet,fixture,traps