HomeSkills: Plumbing: Install & Repair Your Own Toilets, Faucets, Sinks, Tubs, Showers, Drains

by Creative Publishing International

As part of our comprehensive HomeSkills DIY series, HomeSkills: Plumbing will give you power over your pipes.

If you've ever had to call a plumber, you know firsthand that hiring a professional will cost you dearly. But saving money isn't the only major motivation behind DIY plumbing, as the well-informed routine maintenance of your systems can protect your entire home from water damage and a laundry list of other inconveniences. With HomeSkills: Plumbing, you’ll gain a full understanding of the what, how, and why of plumbing work, from general theory and descriptions of the typical home plumbing system to detailed information on the most common materials, fittings, and tools. Your new set of skills—sweating copper tubing, solvent-welding PVC pipe, making solid compression connections, and others—will enable you to install or replace toilets, sinks, faucets, showers, garbage disposals, tubs, and much more. And you won’t have to worry about staying on the cutting edge of plumbing technique: we've included sections on modern troubleshooting and repairs, as well as all the latest materials (such as PEX tubing), with information that’s guaranteed to comply with current plumbing codes. Add to that the book’s 300 foolproof how-to photos and the only thing you’ll find overflowing is your wallet.

Check out our five other HomeSkills guides on carpentry, deck building, landscaping, tiling, and wiring.

Genres: Reference

128 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2013

Reviews

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I begin, I received a copy of this book from FirstReads.

I don't know anything about plumbing, so imagine my relief when I was able to win a copy of this book. The attention to detail is greatly appreciated, especially since I have 2 sinks with some plumbing issues and now I know exactly what the issue is and what supplies I need. Another thing I appreciated was the pictures. Even if I got a plumbing book, I wouldn't know how to do anything if I didn't have some demonstrations or a visual of how to proceed. I LOVE that this book has pictures, along with directions. The book has advice on almost everything, from dishwashers to sinks to icemakers!! I'm really glad I have this book and I will look forward to purchasing the carpentry book from HomeSkills!

5 STARS!!!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a decent introduction to do-it-yourself plumbing. However, the examples and illustration generally feature new-looking plumbing fixtures and parts. If you are working on an old house, the plumbing is likely to be crudded up with decades worth of lime scale, corrosion, etc. Identifying and removing the old stuck parts will likely be much harder than installing the new replacement parts, once you have cleaned up the old mess enough to understand what you're working with and figure out exactly what parts and tools you need to buy. But even so, it's worth it to have some understanding of a vital system in your house that few non-plumbers understand. There's a real satisfaction that comes from replacing an old, leaky, corroded faucet with a brand new one, all by yourself - even if you have the money to call a professional plumber to do it for you.

[Deborah Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

While my significant other does this already, this was a good way for me to learn how to do it right and to correct him on things done wrong. Worth it women!

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has less content and costs more than the "The Complete Guide to Plumbing" by Black & Decker. They share the same publisher and contain many exact word-for-word passages and pictures, but the Homeskills book only has half of the pages and information. It’s also more expensive ($22.20 vs $16.37 on Amazon). If you want more for less, Black and Decker is the one to get.

The pictures and illustrations are well done and show inside many fixtures and appliances.

The book mentions different changes and regulations in the last few decades regarding plumbing code.

The variety of different fixture and appliance types are covered well. You're almost guaranteed to have a diagram of your specific sink or shower style.

It also covers older or no longer practiced methods and materials that you may encounter, which is great for older homes.

[Mony Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has certainly matched my expectations so far. I've done a variety of projects around the house but was always scared to touch the plumbing. This is the first book I have found that doesn't leave me wallowing in technical details while still giving enough information to explain both the 'how' and the 'why' of things.
https://plumbers-atlanta.com/

[JohnPouder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could have been my savior in plumbing problems, but ADP https://onetorontoplumbing.com , a plumbing contractor have been a great help to me with this. They promptly responded to my plumbing issue and scheduled a same-day visit.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to understand and utilize. Once you have this book handy there will be no excuse to have plumbing issues in your own home.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't be omniscient without knowing this! Very helpful for home owners.