College Students! Learn These 3 Plumbing Skills!
Often, those going off to college are experiencing life on their own for the first time. Some may live in their school dorms while others find off-campus housing options. For those renting apartments or homes, it’s wise to have a few plumbing skills up your sleeves. Whether you’re a parent who wants your child to be prepared as much as possible, a college student willing to learn a new thing or two, or a landlord trying to keep their tenants informed, this post is for you!
Never Sign Your Lease Without Knowing How To…
1. Use a Toilet Plunger
This is one of the most basic plumbing skills that everyone should certainly know how to do. First off, be prepared by making sure you and your roommates always have a plunger on hand. Don’t get caught with your pants down—you’ll want a plunger handy when you need one. Trust us. Second, know the steps:
- Put water in the toilet bowl if there isn’t any.
- Place the plunger over the hole at a diagonal angle.
- Firmly take the plunger handle and push it down and then up (you may need to do this two to three times to make sure the blockage is cleared).
- Flush the toilet
To dive deeper into this process, check out this article by The Spruce.
2. Unclog a Shower Drain
When you share a bathroom with multiple people—especially those who have long hair—clogged shower drains are fairly common. Sometimes clogged shower drains can cause showers to have standing water in them, which is definitely a hygienic issue if you end up having to use the shower before allowing the water to fully drain. Don’t do that! Instead, take action and get your hands dirty! Here is what you will need to do:
- Remove the drain stop or plug—you may need a screwdriver or pliers.
- Use tweezers to reach into the drain and pull out whatever may be clogging the drain.
Unclogging a shower drain is definitely a gross process, but it won’t take too long. After removing the hair and gunk, your water should be draining properly. If you don’t want to get your hands too dirty, you can always go to a convenience store and buy drain cleaner that can do the job for you. Look for the kinds that come with a pipe cleaner or drain snake so you can tackle the job. If you’d like to learn more about unclogging drains or other options you can try, read our blog post “How to Unclog a Drain”.
3. Turn Off the Home’s Main Water Supply
This skill is more useful for those choosing to live in off-campus housing. In Utah, it’s very common for homeowners to rent out parts of their home or entire houses to college students—especially in the college-centric parts of Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, and Logan. If you find yourself in a situation where a pipe has burst and the house is flooding, you will need to know where the shut off valve is. Make sure to ask the landlord where it is when you move in—it could be located inside near the water heater, on the side of the house, or underground on the property and accessible via a box in the ground. Once you know where the valve is located, all you’ll need to do is turn it off when needed. To learn more about valves, make sure to check out our blog post about turning off the main water supply and rules and regulations you should know.
Shamrock Plumbing to the Rescue!
College students, if you find yourself unable to handle a plumbing issue on your own, make sure to let your landlord know immediately. Landlords, here to help! Give us a call and feel confident knowing your property’s plumbing will be back to working standard. You and your tenants will be happy to have functioning plumbing again!