Basic household tasks worth mastering

Part of being an adult is creating a well-functioning place to call home. If something breaks, you have to be able to fix it — or hire someone to do it, which burns through cash fast.

Here are instructions for some simple home maintenance tasks everyone should master.

1.

Replace a stopper in a sink

You can fix this annoyance with a part that costs less than $10, (Danco’s 1 5/16-inch universal pop-up is $6.78 at Home Depot.)

Clear the area under the sink, and turn on a flashlight. Find the horizontal rod that connects to the sink drain, and mark where the rod threads through the vertical plate (the clevis). Loosen the clevis screw and the nut where the rod slips into the drainpipe so you can pull out the rod enough to slip the new stopper into place. Wiggle things around, pushing in the rod and raising and lowering the lever on the top of the sink that activates the stopper, until everything is aligned. Then tighten the nut just enough so the stopper doesn’t slide down, and tighten the clevis screw. Check again to make sure everything works.

2.

Unclog a drain

You can clear most drains in just a few minutes without resorting to chemicals. Remove the stopper by loosening the horizontal rod that goes into the drain pipe. (See previous item.) With an old toothbrush, or a piece of stiff wire bent into a hook, fish out the clog. If the drain is still clogged, replace the rod and tighten the nut that holds it, and place a plunger over the drain. Add enough water to cover the rubber, and seal the sink’s overflow hole with a wet sponge. Gently push the plunger down. Then, with the rubber still sealed to the sink, plunge up and down vigorously a dozen or more times. You’ll hear a whoosh when the clog breaks up.

To clear a bathtub drain, the steps are basically the same, except for removing the stopper. Sometimes you can lift and unscrew it. Or there may be a set screw underneath the cap you need to loosen. On some tubs, especially older ones, the trick is to unscrew the plate covering the outflow and then pull out a set of links with a piece at the end that traps hair.

If the clog still sticks, the drain needs to be cleared with a snake — a flexible auger that you thread into the pipe until it pokes through the clog. You might want to call your landlord or a plumber.

3.

Hang art or even a mirror on a wall

Picture hangers, which hold a nail at an angle, are easy to use and minimize wall damage. Some hold up to 50 pounds (22.7 kg), which is plenty for most framed art. The trick is to get the hanger, or pair of hangers, in the right position. Turn the frame over and position the hanger where it would be if it were holding up the piece. Then measure up to the top of the frame and out toward one side. Make a paper template, with the hanger position marked. At the marked spot, tap in the hanger nail if your walls are drywall. (If you can’t push in a thumbtack, you have plaster walls, which means you should drill a hole and then insert the nail.)

Using two hangers helps prevent a picture from shifting, but it’s critical to place them on a level line. Insert one hanger, then use a level to align the second one.

If you need to hang something heavy, the best solution is to hang the artwork where you can fasten studs. Use a stud sensor, or tap on the wall, moving horizontally until you hear the sound change to a thud. This spot often lines up with the nail holes in baseboards. On drywall, use screws that are 1 ½-inches long. On plaster, drill a narrow hole until you can tell (by a change of pressure), that you are past the plaster and into the stud. Add 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the depth of the bit at that point.

If there is no stud where you want to hang the art, buy plastic wall anchors to hold the screws or, on plaster, toggle bolts.