Tips from web can keep your plumbing bills down

By Kim Komando
Gannett News Service

A leaking faucet can be fixed by a plumber for at least $50, or for free if you take the time to get some repair tips — easily found online — and do it yourself. Advertiser library photo

It's 2 a.m., and you're wondering whatever possessed you to buy a house. You know that faucet is going to keep you awake unless you do something. You can stick a pencil in the faucet and let the water run down it, stopping the noise. But at some point, you will have to fix it.

Whether you need to rebuild a faucet or find information about roof repairs, the Web should be your first stop. Plumbers, painters, carpenters and other contractors can be expensive. With all the information available online, you may find that a repair is something you can do yourself. And if that's not an option, at the very least, you can educate yourself about the job, check out contractors and even get bids.

That dripping faucet is a good example. In researching this column, I found lots of information on faucets. Did you know that the most common type is the compression faucet, which has a rubber washer?

Calling a plumber to fix a faucet will cost you $50, at least. It isn't a tough job. DoItYourself.com (www.doityourself.com/plumbing) not only presents lessons on repairing faucets, but it also offers faucet basics that include — get this — animations!

Another common household problem is a leaking toilet. This is often caused by the flapper, which seals the tank after the toilet is flushed. The flapper is a vinyl or rubber plug, and it's as low-tech as you can get.

You probably don't need to pay a plumber to do this job, either. At InsideSpaces.com (www.insidespaces.com), you'll find a number of step-by-step tutorials including one on fixing a leaky toilet.

Within the tutorials, you'll find more than instructions and pictures. They also rate jobs with a difficulty level and give an estimate time for repair.

What's more fun than water under pressure? Electricity. A fascinating subject.

If you have a bad electrical outlet, you can call an electrician, stay home from work and pay the guy (or gal) an arm and a leg. Or you can fix it yourself.

You'll find good directions for changing outlets at the cable channel's Do It Yourself Network (www.diynet.com) site. Find specific tutorials by using the site's search feature. Or if you want to discover the tool time in you, click the Home Improvement link.

Once there, you'll find instructions for installing a storm door, repairing vinyl siding, insulating your windows and adding texture to walls, to name a few.

Of course, houses occasionally need much more extensive repairs than we've discussed here. There is no way I'm going to try to replace my roof or repave my driveway. The same goes for serious plumbing repairs, construction of walls and foundation repairs. For these, I want a professional.