Must-know plumbing hacks
Have you ever been in a spot where you are missing the one tool you need to get the job done? I’ve got some hacks for you! These hacks can be done easily with items that you may have laying around in your van. So what are you waiting for? Read on for amazing plumbing hacks that even experienced professionals swear by.
#1 Using heat to seal PVC or CPVC pipe
I’ve seen this done with a candle, lighter and torch, so let’s try a heat gun - most of y’all will have it on your van. I want to make sure that I heat the inside as well as the outside for a seamless blend that completely seals. It took about three minutes to “seal” PVC with the heat gun, then I used some pliers to clamp the end of the PVC to close the opening. The PVC did start to curve on the end that I heated so I know the inside definitely softened.
On the CPVC, it took about a minute less to heat up and it clamped easier than the PVC did.
I tested both with an air compressor at 20 PSI, and the PVC pipe leaked a bit, but the CPVC held up extremely well with zero leakage.
I ended up very impressed with this hack in case you’re in a pinch!
Heating up the PVC
Wagner Heat Gun used
Final Product of CPVC that did not leak!
#2 Use a dremel screw head to countersink wood
Say you’re installing some screws and you don’t want to mess up your wood. What you want to do is create a hole so you can countersink your screws. The purpose of this hack is so when you do drill a hole and set your screw in there, your screwhead goes in without messing up the wood at all. The first thing we are gonna do is notch the screwhead in three places, before cutting the screwhead off completely, so that the head of the screw will act as a drill bit.
Notching the screwhead in 3 places
Then Dremel the head of the screw off
Next, you’ll use the screwhead as a drill bit to give you a good countersink to put your screw into. This is especially helpful if you’re working with a nice piece of wood or worried about wood splitting. Then go ahead and drill your screw into the countersink hole for a nice, clean finish!
Drill the screwhead into the wood to create countersink hole
Check out that clean finish!
#3 Using a balloon to stop water during a live tie-in
If you're a plumber or plumbing apprentice, then you know that live tie-ins are always a challenge. But if you arm yourself with the right tools, even the most difficult of repairs become manageable! For instance, plumbers and their apprentices alike can use a simple balloon to stop water pouring out during a live tie-in. It's easy: just put the balloon inside the PVC or pipe and air it up until it plugs up that pesky pour - then pop it when your repair is done!
Pump up balloon in pipe until water stops leaking out
Balloon holding the water back!
Pop balloon and let the water pour out
So there you have it: three plumbing hacks to help you get the job done with more ease and efficiency. Home improvement projects take some trial and error, so don't be afraid to try these out on your next plumbing repair. And, of course, don’t forget safety measures before attempting any DIY work. Hopefully now you'll view a live tie-in or leaky pipe as an opportunity for some creative problem-solving instead of a disastrous inconvenience. If you want more ideas on how to quickly and easily solve common plumbing dilemmas, be sure to check out my YouTube channel--there's dozens more! Happy hacking!
Click below to watch me try out these hacks step-by-step!