In all of your child’s 18 years of life, have they ever had to unclog a toilet or deal with a drain full of grease? Odds are the answer is “no”. Now that your 18-year-old has moved out for the first time on their own, there is a lot they won’t be prepared for, but there are some easy plumbing skills you can teach your new young adult or college student that will help avoid a potential disaster.
How to correctly plunge a toilet – One of the most common problems your student will run into is a clogged toilet. Whether it’s due to waste or flushing things that aren’t supposed to go down, your newly independent young adult should know how to correctly plunge a toilet because that’s an errand you’d hate to get a phone call for.
How to stop a running toilet – Most 18-year-old’s have no idea what a running toilet is or that it is even an issue. When a toilet is constantly running, that’s like leaving a faucet on and it’s a waste of water. Make sure you take the lid off of the tank and show your student how to stop the toilet from running.
Unclog a drain – One clogged drain is all it takes for your student to make an expensive call to a plumber and put the charge on that “for emergencies only” credit card you gave him or her when they moved out. Teach your child how to use a small handheld snake and provide them with natural non-chemical ways to clear the clog.
Keep drains clear – If your student wants to avoid unclogging their shower drain every month, teach them the importance of cleaning their hair out of the shower after every use. Make sure they also are aware of things that should not get poured down the drain or garbage disposal, the two most important things being grease and bits of food.
If your young adult or college student is able to perform all of these top four plumbing skills then they should be able to avoid a serious plumbing problem or issue.
