Plumbing is a serious matter that requires knowledge, skills, and experience. Besides, one can never do anything plumbing-related without a set of specific tools necessary for the job. In this article, the 5-Star Plumbing company’s experts will tell you why and when DIY plumbing may not be a good idea.
5-Star Plumbing is a Sacramento-based plumbing company offering a wide array of high-quality plumbing services, including (but not limited to) water heater repair/installation, water line repairs, sewer drain cleaning, bathroom/kitchen plumbing works, and more.
Top 4 main reasons to avoid DIY plumbing repairs
So why do plumbing experts recommend avoiding DIY plumbing repairs?
There are four reasons for that:
- The lack of knowledge, skills, and tools
- Unnecessary expenses
- The risk of making a problem a lot worse
- The risk of getting injured
Let’s take a deeper look at these reasons.
1. You May Not Have Enough Expertise and Tools
The question any homeowner should ask themselves is ‘Do I even know what I’m doing?’
Plumbing is a professional field that requires knowledge, skills, and experience. Even though we use plumbing appliances like toilets, faucets, or gas water heaters daily, we do not necessarily know how they work or how we should fix them. Self-confidence combined with one or two How-to videos from YouTube is hardly enough to successfully – and safely – fix a broken water heater, replace a toilet, or repair pipework around your house.
First of all, you will need proper tools to get the plumbing job done. Some plumbing issues may require specific tools that you may not have. And some of those tools may be rather expensive. In contrast, professional plumbers have all the tools to take care of any kind of plumbing problem.
Another thing to think about is the lack of knowledge regarding new ways of fixing plumbing issues. You may know how to deal with a plumbing issue the “old way”, but at the same time, you may be utterly uninformed about modern approaches that would save time and effort and would be more cost-effective.
Speaking of costs, that’s the second reason to avoid fixing plumbing issues yourself.
2. You May Face Unnecessary Expenses
If you don’t exactly know what you’re doing, what parts you need to purchase to fix one of your house’s plumbing appliances, you may end up spending a lot more than you would pay for professional plumbing help.
Some would say that plumbing services may get costly. But you should keep in mind that the price depends on how bad a plumbing issue is, how much time and effort it takes to fix it, and how many parts and plumbing materials the fix will require.
A professional plumber will correctly estimate a problem, come up with ideas for fixing it, tell you how much time it will take, what and how many materials you will need. Plus, when the job’s done, you will have a warranty, so should anything go wrong after the fix, you will be able to request a free repair or compensation.
Will you have any of these perks when trying to DIY-fix a plumbing issue yourself? You know the correct answer.
Not necessarily, but DIY plumbing repairs may lead to a series of mistakes like buying the wrong materials or breaking other parts while trying to fix something. All of it will result in extra expenses making even a minor plumbing issue a full-scale disaster.
3. You May Make Things Even Worse
Even if you’ve successfully fixed a minor leakage, you may miss what caused it in the first place. This is one of the common mistakes that DIY plumbers make – they ignore what caused the issue. Instead, they choose to fix the problem itself, which may seem logical, but a professional plumber will always look for the cause. This approach will prevent the problem from ever happening again. Because if it does, it may come back big time.
Plus, there are such things as gas appliances like a gas water heater. Take our word for it: DIY-fixing a gas appliance is a bad idea. It’s not something you would want your neighbor to try, nor you don’t want to do it yourself. A gas leak is a lethal threat to you, your family, and the people next door. This job must be taken care of by a professional.
4. You May Get Yourself Injured
Fixing a plumbing issue may put you in danger of getting injured. You may find yourself working with sharp or heavy tools in a tight space. Your eyes may get hurt by debris or chemicals. When working without proper protection, you may also get yourself exposed to asbestos and mold without even knowing it.=
Professional plumbers are fully aware of all the dangers and risks they may face while fixing plumbing issues. Therefore, they always work wearing special uniforms and protective equipment like gloves, eyewear, and facemasks.
Takeaway
When there’s a plumbing issue, your best option is to call for professional help. Getting too self-confident about DIY plumbing may cost you time, money, comfort, and a lot of nerves.