When a plumbing issue occurs in your home you may be tempted to pick up a spanner and have a go at fixing it yourself. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
There’s certainly less chance of killing yourself with plumbing than if you started to fiddle with the electricity. Well, before you try to qualify as an amateur plumber you need to think carefully about the following facts because these are the limits of DIY plumbing.
It can Be Very Dangerous
There is a false perception that plumbing sits at the low-risk end of the DIY spectrum because you’re really just directing water around your house. This is a gross misunderstanding of the dangers that water can create for you and your family. Without proper experience, you can contaminate your home’s water supply, which can have devastating effects for everybody living there.
Even worse is the risk of water mixing with your home’s electrical system, which can have potentially fatal consequences.
You will find it very hard to forgive yourself for making a mistake that leads to the destruction of your home through fire or the electrocution of a family member. And don’t even think about touching the gas water heater – they explode. In most jurisdictions, it’s illegal for anybody other than a licensed plumber or gas fitter to repair a gas hot water system.
DIY Plumbing Usually Makes the Situation Worse
Saving money is always the primary motive behind DIY plumbing. Why pay somebody to come to your house and do a job if you can do it yourself? Here’s the answer: doing it yourself almost always worsens the problem and makes the ultimate repairs far more expensive.
A professional plumber will be able to take one look at the problem in your home and instantly recommend the cheapest and most effective solution. It will be even cheaper if they don’t have to undo your DIY damage before they get to the true problem.
It Helps to Have an Expert Look at Your Plumbing System
If there is one problem with the plumbing in your home – whether it’s a leak, a blockage, rust or something else entirely – there’s a strong chance there could be other problems. A professional plumber will be able to identify these and put a solution in place before they do any damage.
As the old saying goes, it’s better to put a fence at the top of the cliff than an ambulance at the bottom – especially if you’re going to try to drive the ambulance yourself.
What DIY Plumbing Jobs can you Attempt?
There are a number of plumbing tasks that a home handyman can undertake without any major risks, such as replacing the washers on your taps. You could also have a go at adjusting your toilet cistern so it shuts off after flushing or unblocking a drain without a great threat of disaster.
For anything more complicated than that, however, you should certainly hire a professional. A good indicator that it’s time to call a plumber is if you find yourself asking, “What’s the worst that could happen?” You don’t want to learn the answer to that question.
