DIY or Call a Pro: When To Repair Your Plumbing Yourself and When To Hire a Professional

 

Dealing with plumbing issues in your home can be a real headache. From leaky faucets to clogged drains, it’s important to know when you can tackle the problem yourself and when it’s best to call in a professional. 

In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of DIY plumbing repairs versus hiring a professional plumber. 

By the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding of when to roll up your sleeves and get to work and when to pick up the phone and call for help.

Assess the Severity of the Issue

Before deciding whether to tackle a plumbing repair yourself or hire a professional, it’s important to assess the severity of the issue.

Minor problems like a dripping faucet or a slow drain can usually be fixed by homeowners with some basic tools and know-how. However, more serious issues like burst pipes or sewer line backups are best left to the professionals.

Trying to fix these types of problems without the proper training and equipment could make the situation worse and end up costing you more in the long run.

Consider Your Skill Level

Another factor to consider when deciding whether to DIY or call a pro is your own skill level. If you have experience with basic plumbing repairs and feel confident in your abilities, tackling smaller issues on your own may be feasible. 

However, if you’re uncomfortable working with pipes or don’t have any prior experience with plumbing repairs, it’s best to leave it to someone who does. 

Attempting complex repairs without the necessary skills could lead to mistakes that cause more damage than good.

Think About Safety

Safety should always be a top priority when dealing with plumbing repairs. Some tasks, like unclogging a drain or replacing a faucet, are relatively low-risk and can be done safely by most homeowners. 

However, more dangerous tasks like working on gas lines or dealing with major leaks should always be left to trained professionals who know how to handle these situations safely. It’s not worth risking your health or property damage just to save a few bucks on hiring a pro.

Consider Time and Cost

When deciding whether to repair your plumbing yourself or hire a professional, it’s important to consider both time and cost factors. 

DIY projects may seem cheaper upfront since you’re not paying for labor costs, but they can end up being more costly in terms of time spent researching solutions, buying tools and materials, and potentially making mistakes along the way that require additional repairs.

On the other hand, hiring a professional plumber may come with higher upfront costs but can save you time and hassle in the long run by getting the job done quickly and correctly.

Know When to Ask for Help

In some cases, it’s clear that calling in a professional plumber is the best course of action — especially for complex issues that require specialized knowledge or equipment. 

However, there are times when even minor plumbing problems can turn into major headaches if not addressed promptly and correctly. If you’re ever unsure about whether you should attempt a repair yourself or call for help, don’t hesitate to reach out to a licensed plumbing contractor for guidance. 

They can provide expert advice on how best to resolve your issue while keeping safety as their top priority.

Final Thoughts

Knowing when to repair your plumbing yourself and when to hire a professional can save you time, money, and stress in the long run. 

By considering factors like the severity of the issue, your own skill level, safety concerns, time constraints, and cost considerations — you’ll be able to make an informed decision that ensures your home’s plumbing system stays in tip-top shape without breaking the bank or putting yourself at risk. 

So next time you’re faced with a leaky pipe or clogged drain dilemma — take these tips into account before deciding whether DIY is right for you or if it’s time to call in an expert plumbing contractor.

Best Ways to Take Care of Your Homes Plumbing System

Taking care of your home's plumbing system is a crucial aspect of maintaining a stable and healthy household environment. Plumbing systems may seem complex, but if properly cared for, they can last for years without any significant issues.

Plumbing failures can cause severe water damage, leading to costly repairs. 

In this article, we will cover some of the best ways to take care of your home's plumbing system and avoid any potential plumbing disasters.

Regular Inspections

It's essential to keep track of the plumbing system's state in your home regularly. Regular inspections can help address minor plumbing issues before they turn into major problems. 

Inspecting exposed pipes for corrosion, leaks, or any other signs of damage can help spot and prevent a complete system failure. 

An annual inspection by a licensed plumbing service provider like Duvall Plumbing Heating and Cooling and others can help detect any potential issues and offer preventative measures to avoid future problems.

Keep Drains Clear

Clogged drains can cause water backup, leading to significant clogs and possible damage to your home's plumbing system. To prevent this, ensure that you're not flushing anything other than waste and toilet paper down the toilet. 

Avoid pouring grease, oils, or any other heavy materials down the drain in the kitchen. Using a drain strainer in the sink will help prevent food particles, hair, and other non-degradable materials from going down into the pipes. 

A monthly drain cleaning can also prevent any buildup that might cause significant clogs.

Water Pressure Management

High water pressure can put a tremendous strain on your pipes, causing them to burst or leak. If the water pressure is consistently too high, it's advisable to install a water-pressure regulator. 

The regulator will reduce the water pressure to safe levels, increasing the plumbing system's longevity. 

Additionally, it's recommended to check the pressure gauge periodically to ensure that the water pressure remains at an optimal level.

Water Heater Maintenance

The water heater is an integral part of your home's plumbing system. To extend its lifespan and avoid significant failures, performing routine maintenance checks is crucial. 

Regularly flushing the tank can help remove any sediment build-up, and installing a water softener can protect it from corrosive minerals.

Be Mindful of Your Pipes

Pipes can be easily damaged by external forces such as tree roots, ground shifts, or even human error. It's important to be mindful of where your pipes are and to avoid planting trees or digging near them. Also, avoid flushing any foreign objects down the toilets.

Conclusion

Taking care of your home's plumbing system doesn't have to be a daunting task. Regular maintenance checks, managing water pressure, keeping drains clear, maintaining water heaters, and being mindful of your pipes are some of the best ways to maintain your plumbing system. 

If an issue arises, don't hesitate to contact a licensed plumbing service provider to address the problem before it becomes a major catastrophe. 

By following these tips, you can avoid any plumbing disasters and enjoy a functional and healthy plumbing system that will last for many years.

Reasons to Inspect Your Old Home's Pipes Each Year

If you live in an older home, then you should consider having your pipes professionally inspected at least once a year. Those inspections take very little time to complete, and they are going to greatly reduce your risk of common plumbing issues that could wreak havoc on your home.

Quickly Find Leaks

Anyone who owns an older home should expect to deal with at least a few plumbing leaks, and that type of damage can quickly spiral out of control and cause a wide variety of problems. 

In addition to destroying nearby materials, a plumbing leak could also waste thousands of gallons of water yearly. For leaks in older homes, a plumber might suggest cured in place pipe lining installation services that will quickly seal multiple cracks and openings at once.

Prevent Pest Infestations

Whenever there is standing water or a slow leak in a home, the risk of a pest infestation skyrockets. Many bugs and rodents will immediately leave a home if they can’t find a consistent source of water from the plumbing system. Taking care of leaks as quickly as possible will prevent a major infestation that spreads all across your property.

Avoid Mold Growth

Many homeowners don’t realize just how dangerous a mold outbreak can be, and that issue is very common in older homes. As soon as mold finds a dark and wet environment, it will begin to release spores that spread to other rooms and all along the pipes. 

When a mold outbreak isn’t taken care of right away, it could have a big impact on your family’s health and comfort. If you find a mold outbreak, you should contact a mold remediation company to explore your options for removing the spores.

Catch Minor Damage Early On

Finally, those who have an older home should schedule annual plumbing inspections so that they can catch minor damage before it becomes a serious headache. 

No matter how well you maintain your pipes, the damage will occur over the years. Your plumber can carefully inspect the inside and outside of the pipes and give you a thorough report on potential problems you might run into in the future.

Changing out faucets and other basic maintenance can typically be completed by the average homeowner, but most repairs should be left to a licensed plumber. 

Those professionals have extensive training and the specialized tools that are needed to complete plumbing jobs quickly and safely.

Is Your Home Getting Old? Types of Repairs to Budget For

The average lifespan of a home is about 25 years. Many homeowners are forced to upgrade their homes with changing family members, outgrowing rooms, and declining home values.

But when you’re not sure what to do with your house, it may feel like you’re doing nothing more than throwing money away. Even with a modest budget, “old” homes need some repairs. Whether your home is 10 years old or 100 years old, you can do a few things to keep it in good condition.

Here’s a look at the different home repairs you can make to help keep your house safe and in good repair.

Fix Leaky Faucets and Plumbing Problems

If you have a leaky sink, bathtub, or toilet that doesn’t seem to be stopping any longer, you could find trouble behind them. A leaking pipe underneath the bathroom floor might mean having to rip up your floor to fix the problem and start over. 

Leaks from the water lines outside might also leave your exterior paint job ugly. You probably don’t want to deal with either of those two options. 

Fortunately for you, you can hire an experienced plumber to check out the source of the leaks before they become bigger problems.

Keep Your Roof in Top Shape

Roofing can be expensive, both in terms of initial cost and ongoing maintenance. Asphalt shingles can last around 20 years if cared for properly, but even wood shakes or tile roofs will require upkeep. 

If your roof is older than 15 years, you should seal it against the elements using waterproofing materials and then apply new asphalt shingles every 5 to 7 years. Call in professionals who know how to work with existing conditions, not just put on a fresh coat of shingles.

Maintain the Air Conditioning System

It’s no surprise that keeping your AC running all year round smoothly takes lots of effort. It requires cleaning filters regularly, replacing fans, and lubricating the unit itself (which can often get clogged). Don’t worry: most HVAC experts can handle this sort of thing, as long as you schedule regular appointments with them.

Check the Foundation

Foundation issues aren’t always visible to the naked eye. They can manifest themselves as cracked concrete slabs, buckled walls, or shifting floors. Most cities offer free inspections of foundations. Ask the city inspection department whether your town does so too. 

This may involve climbing ladders or crawling under the home to check certain areas, depending on where you live. This type of inspection is generally recommended once every five years or so.

Repair Cracks in Interior Surfaces

Cracks in plasterboard and drywall inside the home don’t necessarily mean major damage is occurring; however, until these are repaired. 

Cracks in drywall tend to occur when people move into a newly-built home and then realize the previous occupants had wallpapered over the holes. 

These cracks develop because wallpaper shrinks slightly as it dries out. Once the new drywall goes up, the wallpaper gets pulled off again, and the process starts over.

Repairing your house can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to begin. To simplify planning your DIY projects, try categorizing them according to type first. Then, go through each category and list your planned projects. 

Doing so will let you see which items are cheaper to replace versus fixing. While some repairs are easy and simple, others are time-consuming and complex. Take the time to plan accordingly.

Need Plumbing Help? Here Are 5 Signs Indicating It's Time to Call a Plumber

Regardless of whether you have a clogged toilet, runny faucet, or burst water pipe, the last thing you want to do is try and tackle these problems on your own.

In most cases, these issues can be handled with relative ease and without spending a lot of money. However, there are certain circumstances in which calling a plumber is the only choice. Here are five signs indicating that it may be time to call a plumber.

Frozen Pipes

The pipes in your home are normally filled with water, but when temperatures dip below freezing, the water inside them freezes. A frozen pipe is one of the more common plumbing problems that occur during cold weather.

Although you may be tempted to try and thaw the pipe yourself, it can easily lead to a flooded house and can be extremely dangerous. There is also a danger of electrical shock if you use a heat source too close to the pipe.

The best way to deal with frozen pipes is to call a professional plumber immediately, who will use special equipment like thawing machines or propane torches to safely melt the ice away.

Discolored Water

Discolored water and smelly water can be dangerous. Although these types of issues may not seem severe, they could be a sign of a more serious problem.

Troubleshooting discolored water and smelly water issues is important because they can indicate mold or bacteria growth inside your home's pipes. Within the next few hours or days, you might notice symptoms such as skin irritation, nausea, and headaches.

Even if your discolored water or smelly water doesn't produce noticeable symptoms, it could still be present in your drinking water. Contacting an experienced plumber is the best way to treat these concerns before they worsen.

Pipe Noises

If you hear funny pipe noises in your plumbing system, you should contact an emergency plumber as soon as possible. Treating this issue is not something that people can do themselves, and it is advised to seek the help of a professional to fix the problem.

Pipes that make funny noises are most commonly a result of trapped air pockets in the lines. Even though it might sound weird, these pockets are common, and they can form when air enters the line through leaks and cracks.

The truth is that it may be very dangerous to ignore these noises and continue using the water in your home. The main danger presented by this situation is that water can enter the air pockets and cause gases to be released. These gases can include potentially dangerous bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances.

These gases can enter pipes through leaks or cracks in the plumbing system, from other places in your home (such as toilets), or even from outside sources. 

The presence of gas bubbles in your pipes increases pressure on those pipes, which can lead them to burst or collapse. If that happens, huge amounts of water will leak into your home and possibly cause extensive damage.

Water Leaks

Water leaking from a broken pipe can cause a big mess and create serious damage to your home if it's not handled quickly by a professional plumber. Here are some telltale signs that you may have a leak.

If your water bill seems abnormally high, it could be caused by hidden leaks. Check the places in your home where plumbing is located. See if there's any visible moisture or unusual dampness on the walls or floors.

This means that there is too much moisture in the air, so it's seeping into your pipes, causing them to swell and potentially break from the pressure of having too much liquid inside of them.

Dripping Faucets

Dripping faucets can be a costly and hazardous problem. They cause water damage to your home that can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. 

The good news is that there are many ways to fix a leaking faucet. However, if you are not sure how to go about it, then you will need the services of a professional plumber to help you with this problem.

As a homeowner, if you start to notice any of the above signs that something may not be right with your plumbing, it’s probably time to call a plumber. 

If your toilet is running, or if you can hear gurgling noises in your pipes, it might be time to look into hiring a plumber as well.