If there’s one thing that’s always true of plumbing systems, it’s that they can be incredibly complex. There are a lot of parts in play, meaning a lot of elements of them can potentially go wrong. If you have a project at home that requires working on the plumbing, there’s a lot of reason to be cautious. The absolute most basic steps to getting started (like turning off the water to the whole house before doing any work) might be fairly common knowledge, but there’s a lot more involved in most plumbing jobs than you might think. Rather than put all of your trust in the DIY approach, it’s important to consider how much training and experience 24-hour emergency plumbers have to go through to carry out their jobs effectively.
That isn’t to say that DIY plumbing is without approach however. Everyone knows how invigorating it can be to roll up your sleeves and get things done yourself. It obviously lightens the burden that any sort of repair work will have on your wallet as well. However, a lot of DIY projects (or the opposite, where problems are left completely alone) land people in serious trouble when things just go completely wrong. It’s a shame when an attempted fix only leads towards an even bigger issue, making the potential plumbing costs even higher. Before deciding to do your plumbing work yourself, you need to consider two basic things.
1 – Will The Work Inconvenience Everyone?
If you’re going to get into a big plumbing project, you have to think of how it might effect the household. Once you’ve cut the water supply, is that going to get in the way of another family member taking the shower they need before work or school? Is it going to get in the way of cooking or getting the dishes done? There are also matters like keeping the water pressure at a comfortable level after a change has been made. The water level in the toilet might even be changed to something too low or high. Some DIY attempts even lead to hot water being absolutely scalding. If there’s only one bathroom or kitchen sink in the home, having the water supply out of commission for a while can also be a big pain in the neck.
If you aren’t able to get the job done effectively and quickly, you probably won’t be winning any popularity contests with whomever you’re living with. Even if you live alone, you might end up getting in over your head and regretting ever getting started. Half finished DIY projects are a bane of many homes. Sometimes changes are made without knowing that the home owner’s insurance policy even frowns upon it, opening up a whole other wealth of issues. To tell a long story shortly, the potential set backs, annoyances, and inconveniences can pile on and on.
2 – Is The Time It Takes Worth It?
Tying in to the inconveniences and half finished jobs you wish you’d never started, the time it can take to tackle a plumbing project if you only have a layman’s understanding of it can be quite a hassle. Your time will never equate to that of a professional plumber’s. They can almost always give you an estimate of how much a particular job will take, and they can get it done effectively. If something takes more than a day, that might not fit into your schedule. A plumber is there to do the job as it needs to be done, alleviating a lot of potential headaches for the home owner. It’s important to keep all of this in mind before you decide to go the DIY route instead.