Stop Sink-Sprayer Snarls If your kitchen sink sprayer hose gets snagged on shutoff valves, slip 1/2-in. foam pipe insulation over the pipes and shutoff handles. Tape it in place if needed for smooth operation.
Silence Creaking Pipes Copper pipes can expand with hot water and cause creaking noises. Use adhesive-backed felt strips to wrap around the pipes before refastening hangers, preventing grinding against pipe hangers and joists.
Quiet Loud Sinks To reduce noise in stainless steel sinks, fill the space between two sink basins with expanding foam. This will deaden vibrations. It’s easier to do before installation, but it can be done afterward as well—just trim excess foam.
Use a Drain Vacuum for Hard Clogs A wet/dry shop vacuum can be a great tool for clearing hard-to-reach clogs like toys or toothbrushes. Suck the obstruction out instead of pushing it deeper with a plunger.
Use a Strong Magnet to Find Hidden Pipes To locate pipes under floors, attach a rare earth magnet to electrical fish tape, and use an ordinary compass to track the magnet under the floor. The compass will react when it detects the magnet’s presence.
Use a Bucket to Flush Before shutting off water during a plumbing project, fill 2-gallon buckets with water and use them to flush the toilet. This provides a flush without water supply, although it won’t refill the bowl.
Take a Picture Before Closing Up Walls Before you seal up walls during remodeling, take a photo of what’s inside. This will help you know where plumbing, electrical lines, and framing are located for future repairs or renovations.
Empty the Trap First When removing a sink trap, plunge the drain with a toilet plunger first. This pushes most of the water out, reducing the mess when removing the trap. If you have a double sink, plug the other drain to contain the pressure.
