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Plumbing
Forget all those expensive DIY books: everything you need is here on
the Web, if you know where to look.
To that end, we've hand-compiled
a list of over 150 of the best DIY plumbing pages
we could find, helping you to do everything from
sorting out your drains to fixing a dripping faucet (tap)—and all on
one handy, uncluttered web page!
We've included several different guides to most topics, so you can
compare the advice and choose
the approach you like best.
If you're looking for more general DIY advice (things like woodworking, electrical work, building, home decorating,
and plastering), check out our home page.
Introduction
Why are plumbers always in demand? That was the question BBC News magazine posed a while ago in
this interesting article about plumbing. Apparently, there's been a "flood" of people entering the plumbing business in recent years, largely prompted by media stories highlighting the apparently huge potential to make money fixing people's pipes. Whether there's any truth in that or not, one thing is beyond question: taps will always drip, toilets and drains will always block, central heating will always grind to a halt midwinter, and people will always need pipes fixing.
It's illegal to do your own plumbing work in some countries but, in places where DIY plumbing is legal, you might be surprised how much you can do by yourself. We don't recommend you take on any major jobs without consulting a qualified professional, but for simple things like fixing a dripping faucet (tap), there's no good reason to call out a plumber and pay extortionate rates. With a new washer and a spanner, you can make the repair yourself and be up and running again in about ten minutes.
Even if you plan on getting your job done by an expert, it can still pay you to research the subject beforehand. If you understand the problems and the options available, you'll be better placed to make decisions when your plumber asks you to make a choice. You'll also be able to spot any cowboy tradesmen who are trying to get you to commit to something more expensive than you need.
This Web page is all about giving you background advice on plumbing. It points you to other Web pages that will help with simple repairs and lists lots of do-it-yourself projects for people who feel confident and competent. It covers environmental topics like greywater, rainwater collection, and composting toilets. And it even points you in the right direction if you're considering plumbing as a career.
We hope you find the information here helpful!
Please be sure to read the site disclaimer and privacy policy.
Update status
Last updated: 10 May 2011: Links fully checked and updated.
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Contents - what's on this page
Find a plumber
But before you do, take a look at this handy article on
hiring a plumber,
with some great money-saving advice.
Other useful groups
Safety advice: before you start
General DIY safety
Plumbing safety
Health risks
Tools
General tool guides
OnlineToolReviews.com:
"Dedicated, professional reviews of popular woodworking and DIY tools
and devices for the home handyman".- DIY tool guide:
Impartial advice from the BBC.
- Painting
101: Tips for buying paintbrushes and other painting tools, from
DIY network.
- Choosing tools: A great set of articles about choosing different tools, including saws,
drills, hammers, ladders, sandpaper, spanners... and more.
- Ultimate
Handyman: Power tool buying guide: Includes guides to drills,
cordless drills, power saws, grinders, sanders, rotozips, routers.
- DIYnot.com:
Buying and hiring: Looks at the pros and cons of buying and hiring
and things to watch out for, including basic safety points.
- Buying guides: Homebase has a very wide selection of buying guides, including helpful articles devoted to circular saws,
electric screwdrivers, heat guns, power drills, power jigsaws, pressure washers, and sanders.
Handy tool-buying guides from Homebase UK
General plumbing advice
Pipe skills
General pipework
Bending pipes
- Bending copper pipe: An easy-to-follow, illustrated guide from diyfixit.co.uk
- Bending copper pipes: Diydata.com explains how to bend pipes with either bending springs (and your leg) or pipe bending machines.
Joining pipes
How-to project worksheets
Homebase DIY guides
Other worksheets and how-to guides
Plumbing emergencies
The best thing to do in a plumbing emergency is
usually to call a qualified plumber!
Fixing dripping faucets/taps
Central heating systems and radiators
General introductions
- Gas boilers: A very simple introduction to central heating and gas boilers.
- Water Central Heating - the boiler: This introduction from diydata explains the basic arrangement of sealed and open-vented heating systems
- Heating & Hotwater Industry Council: A good collection of background information for UK readers, including details of how to find a qualified heating installer, how to save energy, and how to get grants toward heating improvements.
- Central heating: A basic backgrounder from Wikipedia.
Balancing radiators
Bleeding radiators
Choosing a boiler
- Modern Central Heating Boilers: The National Energy Foundation explains the advantages of using a modern condensing boiler, which can pay for its extra cost in as little as four years.
- Boiler Efficiency Database: Which boilers are most efficient? Find out on this website from the UK government.
- Which boiler is right for me?: Explains the difference between combination boilers, sealed system (unvented) boilers, ppen vent and open vent sealed system boilers,
and back boilers; talks you through the cost of a boiler; and explains how much you can expect to save by modernising your system.
- Central Heating Boilers: A good basic introduction to the different boiler types, including balanced flue boilers, open flue boilers, fan-assisted boilers, combi boilers and condensing boilers.
Drains and drainage
Toilet problems
Other drainage problems
Gutters
Septic tanks
- Septic tank: A basic introduction to the concept of septic tanks (sewage treatment systems for houses not connected to main sewerage pipes).
- Septic Systems: A useful introduction from the the National Environmental Services Center, with links to some useful background documents.
- How sewer and septic systems work: An introduction to the basic technology from Howstuffworks website.
Choosing fixtures and fittings
Environmental plumbing (saving water, greywater etc)
Saving water
Greywater systems
Composting toilets
- The Humanure
Handbook: A guide to composting human manure.
- Composting
Toilets, Pasteurization and Permits: A guide to composting human
manure.
- Composting toilet:
An introduction from Wikipedia.
- Composting
toilets: More information from the Sustainability Wiki.
- How
to build a composting toilet: An illustrated photographic guide from WikiHow. This model is
made from empty plastic bottles!
- The dry
composting toilet: Everything you ever wanted to know, including 's
wrong with flush toilets, why we need composting toilets, how they
work, and how to build them.
- NatSol: A British manufacturer specializing in composting toilets.
- Waterless
toilets: Short (two-page) leaflet from the Australian government covers the basics, including: what is a composting toilet, how does a composting toilet work, what regulations affect their use, where should you build your toilet, and how should you maintain it (300K PDF file).
Plumbing courses
You can find plumbing courses in your area just by typing "plumbing courses" into the Google search box at the bottom of this page!
