Soldering copper pipes and joints may be one of the first things a plumber should know how to do.  There’s already many great resources on how to solder copper pipes and joints, we highly recommend to start out with this article from RD.com.

In this article, we’ll show you how to do a leakproof soldering job the first time—and a few cool tools to make the job quicker and easier.

Here’s two videos on how to solder copper pipes and joints FYI:

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One of the hardest things in life is finding a good, honest plumber who will fix your plumbing problems and make sure the problem doesn’t happen.

Here’s a couple of suggestions on how to find a good plumber:

• For small jobs, most plumbing companies can give you a quote over the phone such as clogged toilet or kitchen sink.  Do call 3-4 plumbing companies and see which one has the lowest price and ask them if they can guarantee the rates or if they will give you a discount.
• For larger jobs such as plumbing that requires drilling or digging, you will want to find the right plumber first.  Do you research and call the speciality plumbers.  For example, you’d want to contact us for trenchless sewer jobs since we “specialize” in trenchless sewer jobs.  (although we do most regular household plumbing too)  Again, get several different quotes and meet the plumbers in person.   When you meet them in person, note how promptly they show up to your appointment time.  If the plumber is seriously late, you might want to consider another plumbing company even he’s the cheapest, he might take forever to get the job done.
• Also ask if the plumber provides free camera inspection services.  (we do free camera inspection)  A lot of plumbers might try to rip you off by charging you $50 CASH for a camera inspection.  These guys are scammers as they take cash and not tell their company about it.  (sorta middlemanning their own plumbing company)  I’ve seen this happen recently, I couldn’t believe this plumber charged $200 CASH for a camera inspection.  Most good plumbing companies will do this free of charge.

You really want to find a plumber who gives you honest quotes on the jobs you need done.  Sometimes, a lot of the national brand companies will rip you off so go with a local plumber.

Of course, if you are in the SF Bay Area and you have a plumbing problem, you know who to call, Sewer Specialists @ 415-378-4618 or fill out our homepage online estimate form.

Although we’d love to charge customers for detecting leaks here at Sewer Specialists Inc., most minor leaks can be fixed without even calling a plumber.

Before calling us for our plumbing services, we highly suggest you to check out the following DIY on how to detect leaks in your home plumbing:

Step 1
The first thing you will need to do is shut ALL doors in the house.
Step 2
Next, locate the white vent pipes on your roof. Choose one for the test and stuff an old rag into the opening of the others.
Step 3
Wearing rubber gloves, empty the contents of 3-4 bottles of peppermint extract [can find in baking aisle] into the open vent pipe. Follow with the gallon of very hot water.
Step 4
Cover that pipe opening immediately.
Step 5
Starting in the lowest floor of the house [basement counts] start by opening one door at a time. You should NOT smell peppermint as you open each room. If you do chances are there is a leak in your sewer pipe behind the walls of that room.
Step 6
Congratulate yourself for saving a few hundred dollars over what a plumber would have charged you to perform the test.

via eHow

For most clogs, there’s easy ways to unclog your drain.  Before you call the plumber, try this DIY that shows you how easily most pipes can be “unscrewed”:

Traps: If you have lost a valuable item such as a contact lens or ring, removing the trap, known as a “P” OR “S” trap, will be a perfect way to retrieve the lost item.

Step 1. Place a basin or bucket to catch water from the trap. If chemicals are present use a chemical resistant bucket and wear chemical resistant gloves. Also shield eyes.

Step 2. Loosen the two end nuts of the couplings. Some can be loosened by hand, but a pipe wrench may be needed. The trap will come free and you can get the lost item, or remove the plug.

Step 3. Check the washers for any damage when putting the trap back on. Replacing the damaged washers now may save you a leak later on.

via doityourself