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Bathtub plumbing is not an easy job. The pipes are difficult to reach, and it can be difficult to tell the problem of a leak in the tub. This blog post will help you learn how to do bathtub plumbing successfully!
We’ll cover 8 steps that will make your life easier, so you don’t have to worry about calling in a professional every time something goes wrong.
8 Steps on How to Do Bathtub Plumbing
Step 1. Turn off the water supply
The first thing you need to do when doing bathtub plumbing is turn off the water supply. The water valve will be either located underneath or behind your tub depending on which type of bathroom faucet you have.
Step 2. Drain Your Bathtub
After turning off the water, it’s time to drain your bathtub so that there are no risks of getting an electric shock while working with electricity in close proximity to standing water. If possible, use a pump rather than draining by hand because this step can take quite some time and effort using only buckets.
Using a manual pump will also ensure all excess debris gets out of your pipes before attempting any repairs below ground level where they may not be visible inside the walls or under the flooring around the exterior perimeter of your tub.
Step 3. Remove Old Fixtures and Unclog Drains
Next, you will need to remove the fixtures in your bathtub, such as faucets or showerheads, because they are usually held on by either threaded connections below the surface of the sink area or hidden screws under rubber caps near where these items connect with the wall behind them.
Use care when removing old equipment so that nothing is broken during this process which can lead to costly repairs later down the road if replacement parts aren’t available for discontinued models that were installed years ago. You should also clean out any debris from around these areas while doing bathtub plumbing, so there’s less chance something gets clogged up within a pipe after reassembling everything back together again inside the tub.
Step 4. Shut Off Electricity
Now it’s time to shut off the electricity before getting started on any repairs that may require working with wires. This is a very important step because even if your bathtub isn’t currently filled with water, there’s still potential for electrocution if live current happens to come in contact with any part of your body while you’re trying to fix something below ground level.
If you’re not sure where the breaker box is located in your home, now would be a good time to ask someone who does or consult an online guide. Just make sure everything is turned off and unplugged from the wall before proceeding further.
Step 5. Test Faucets and Make Necessary Repairs
Now would also be a good time to test your faucets and showerheads for proper function now that they’re completely disconnected from the plumbing.
If something is still not working right, this is the time to make any necessary repairs before moving on. It’s also a good opportunity to clean off any mineral deposits that may have built up over time around these fixtures with some vinegar or baking soda if you have them on hand. Once everything is functioning properly, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Step 6. Disconnect Supply Lines
The supply lines will be copper or plastic and are usually connected in one of two places: below the faucet or behind the tub at the wall. Loosen these fittings by hand or with a wrench and remove them completely from the wall.
Step 7. Take Out Old Pipes
The next step is to take out any old pipes in your bathroom that are connected to existing plumbing either behind the tub, below it, or both depending on where they’re located.
You can do this using a pipe cutter that will cut through metal quickly if you have one available because these tools aren’t cheap even though they’re well worth their weight in gold when doing bathtub plumbing work around your home.
If you don’t happen to own one of these specialized devices yourself, you should be able to find someone who does among friends and family members or simply hire an experienced plumber for assistance instead since this process might be a little too difficult to try and tackle on your own if you’re not familiar with it.
Step 8. Install New Pipes
Now that the old pipes are out, it’s time to install new ones in their place. This is where the fun begins because everything starts coming together again, and assuming you followed the previous steps correctly, things should now be moving along smoothly without any major hiccups.
Make sure all connections are tight and secure before moving on, and don’t forget to test for leaks once everything is put back together again. If everything checks out, give yourself a pat on the back because you’ve just successfully completed another DIY project around your home!
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