Every home calls for the service of a professional plumber to keep the clean water flowing in and the wastewater flowing out. As a result, good residential plumbers are always in high demand. While some plumbing issues require the attention of a professional plumber, others are minor and can be managed with a little skill in performing DIY plumbing repairs. Being able to fix minor plumbing issues in the home as a do-it-yourselfer saves money spent on plumbing repairs, but it also helps prevent major plumbing issues from cropping up. Here are some basic plumbing skills every homeowner should possess. 

Unclogging drains

Clogged drains are one of the most commonly experienced plumbing problems in the home. Virtually every existing homeowner will tell you that they have faced this problem at some point. Therefore, learning how to unclog blocked drains is a must-have skill for every homeowner. The good news is that plumbing drains seldom become blocked without first showing signs of doing so. When there is a potential clog in your residential drains, you will initially notice the water flowing at a slower than usual rate when you flush the toilet, use the kitchen sink, or are letting the water go down any other drains within the home.

To fix minor clogging in your plumbing drains, you only need to be well-versed with using simple handheld plumbing tools, such as a plunger. Unclogging drains with a plunger is a job that even novices can do properly. All the DIY homeowner has to do is to make sure they create and maintain an airtight seal over the blocked drain and then keep plunging until the clog is cleared. For clogs that are difficult to unclog, a plumber's snake (and perhaps a professional plumber) will need to be used. 

Fixing leaky pipes and faucets

Many homeowners tend to ignore minor leaks in their residential plumbing drains, and this is a mistake that often costs them a great deal. If there are leaks in the home's fresh water supply, it could contribute to high monthly water bills, with every drip that goes to waste. If wastewater from the toilet, bathroom or kitchen is allowed to leak in the home, it can render the home messy and unhygienic. And do not forget that leaking water can cause extensive damage to various features of the home, such as wooden flooring, resulting in high repair costs.

Leaky pipes can be repaired by wrapping a rubber patch around the trouble spots, and then securing the patch with duct tape. Leaky plumbing faucets, on the other hand, often require a washer replacement. If that does not fix the problem, a professional plumber may be required to replace the faucets entirely.