Knowing when it is time to hire a professional plumber can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run. It is common for a lot of people to try to fix small plumbing problems themselves but it is important to recognise when a problem has escalated beyond your expertise and hire a plumber before you end up doing more damage than good.
The following situations are best left in the hands of somebody with plumbing experience and training:
No hot water – It can be hard to determine the cause of having no hot water, unless the tank is visibly leaking. If you have a gas heater the issue could be with the igniter or the thermocouple burners. If you have an electric heater it could have something to do with blown fuses, circuit breakers or the heating elements. Either way you will want someone who knows what they are doing to take a look.
Replacing your water heater – Replacing a water heater is no easy task and you should think twice about doing it yourself. A reliable plumber can come to your house, remove the old heater, fit the new heater, fully test it and then dispose of the old heater.
Poor water pressure – You will need a good plumber to properly diagnose the problems with poor water pressure as it could be down to a number of factors.
Frozen water pipes – If a water pipe freezes check carefully yo see if it has cracked or burst, and then call a plumber. You may be able to thaw the pipe yourself using a hair dryer but there could already be damage to the pipes, it will be safer to call a plumber and get them to check.
Main line stoppage – This refers to clogs with your toilet, bath or shower. You should call a professional plumber at the first sign of any effluence and dirty water backing up from your toilet or shower drains. There can be serious health issues if you do not a situation like this resolved asap.
It can be tempting to try to fix your household plumbing problems on your own, especially in this current economic climate, but you must be extra careful that you do not cause additional damage and expense by trying to fix something that should have been left to a professional plumber. By contacting a professional plumber early on, when you first spot the problem, you can reduce the potential financial outlay by getting the issue fixed before it escalates.
If you do not have the experience or plumbing knowledge then you really should not be attempting to fix any of the above problems yourself, despite how much money you think you will save. Try to imagine how much money you may end up shelling out if something goes wrong and you end up flooding your house, and will your insurance cover costs if you attempted to fix the problem yourself? Many insurance companies may refuse to pay out if they learn that plumbing work was carried out by someone without the relevant experience and accreditation, potentially leaving you with a massive financial outlay to replace damaged furniture and appliances. Is it really worth the risk?
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