Problems with plumbing always arise at the wrong time, and the question arises whether to call a professional or try to cope with the issue yourself. On the one hand, you do not want to waste time waiting and money because sometimes plumbers take decent money for elementary manipulations. On the other hand, you can aggravate the situation even more or even break something. How to understand if you have enough skills to cope, or is it better to immediately call a special service? Let’s consider several scenarios below.
We will cover the most common plumber problems. Almost when all situations occur, the water in the house or apartment must be shut off.
Perhaps we will start with those situations when it is better to use the services of a specialist.
Of course, if you can rely on your training and have the tools, you can handle that too. But for people who do not know the intricacies of plumbing, we advise abandoning the idea of solving these problems yourself because wrong actions can only complicate the repair and make plumber services more expensive. So you will not save either time or money.
You may not know, but for many bathroom activities, you may need permission. An experienced plumber knows which ones. This is especially important if in the future you need to sell a house or apartment. Improper bathroom work can lead to high fines.
In this situation, professional skills are needed to correctly understand the cause of pipe breakage and replace them and eliminate the cause itself.
We recommend you call a plumber to periodically inspect all pipes in your home. Because if there is a sudden leak, it is always a big headache. Especially if this happens while the homeowners are at work or even out of town, it is always best to take care of a potential issue ahead of time.
If you have not replaced old or bad pipes in time and there is a leak, then urgently call a plumber asap. He will quickly fix the problem, and you will be sure that the work is done well.
Independent actions with water heaters are quite dangerous since they contain pressure and hot water, which, if handled incorrectly, can lead to an explosion and disastrous consequences.
If your hot water periodically disappears or it has disappeared completely, then it is time to call a plumber. The specialist will be able to determine what caused this situation. Often the reason is in the water heater, and we mentioned that it is better to entrust the work with it to a professional. Perhaps the matter is in a faulty tank.
A specialist will be able to quickly identify what caused the lack of hot water and replace parts or repair equipment.
Imagine that you turn on the tap and the water does not flow. It seems like a nightmare, and of course, such situations happen at the most inopportune moment.
First of all, we advise you to call your neighbors and ask if they have water or not. If everything is in order with them, then you can sound the alarm.
Water can disappear for a variety of reasons, from pipe leaks to freezing. And if you cannot immediately find out what the problem is, then it is better to call an experienced specialist.
In addition to specific situations with pipes or plumbing equipment, we will discuss when it is even better to call a plumber instead of solving the problem yourself.
You will not start driving a car by yourself without proper training and lack of experience, and you will not repair your car if you have no experience in this work.
Of course, you will not get experience if you do not try to do something, but plumbing equipment is a very important system in the house to put it at risk.
Professional plumbers are trained for three years before starting work. If you decide to do something yourself, then do not rely only on YouTube videos. At least consult with someone knowledgeable if there is no way to call a master. Videos on the Internet usually cover only the simplest and most typical scenarios, and no one can guarantee that your plumbing breakdown is exactly the same.
The modern rhythm of life leaves us practically no free time, and it is especially offensive to spend it on plumbing work. Each case must be performed by a professional; for this, they exist.
Why waste time fixing a plumbing problem when you can call a specialist and devote that time to your family, or your hobby, or your job that you get paid for.
Even if you decide that the problem is insignificant and you fix it in 15 minutes, in reality, it may not be so. You can only aggravate the matter. And then you still have to spend time calling a plumber, and as a result, you will spend even more time. The miser pays twice, even when it comes to time.
You may simply not have the right hardware to fix the problem.
Many tools can be purchased at hardware stores, but this is not the whole solution. Besides buying, you also need to be able to use them. Using the wrong tool or the wrong use of the tool can ruin your pipes, toilets, bathtubs, and so on.
In some cases, it is not easy to buy specialized plumbing fixtures. For example, not every store offers pipe cleaning tools. But the plumber certainly has them and will be able to use them quickly.
When using plumbing tools, you need to know and follow safety precautions, so you will not harm yourself or the people around you.
Everything needs balance, even in pipes and their connections.
Out of inexperience, many people like to pull the pipes too much. This is a mistake because the pipes can crack or even collapse. The pipes will require more force to work.
Professional plumbers know how to strike a balance in this matter and also know special tricks, such as using Teflon tape to tighten joints.
In order not to aggravate the problem, it is better to call a master who knows how not to tighten the connections too weakly, but at the same time not to overdo it.
If you feel confident, you can handle these situations on your own. But keep in mind that you will need to spend your time and energy. And not always everything turns out to be as easy as you thought at the beginning. When in doubt, it is always best to call a specialist. Indeed, with the wrong actions, you can not only fail to fix the plumbing but even ruin it. And initially, inexpensive repairs will become more expensive. Remember, saving is not always good.
Objects often fall into the drain of a sink or shower. Hair in the bathroom or leftover food in the sink in the kitchen is not a rare story at all, and if you do not have special restraints for foreign objects, then clogging can occur with sufficient consistency. How to deal with such a blockage? Arm yourself with a wire, for example, a wire hanger, and a garbage bag. Unscrew the screen to the shower or sink, and remove the blockage.
If it is impossible to remove the blockage in this way, then supplies from your kitchen will come to your aid. Make a mixture of vinegar and baking soda and pour it into the clogged pipe to dissolve it.
To fix this problem yourself, the first thing you need to do is turn off the water. A dripping faucet means that some of its parts are not working correctly or have deteriorated. You can replace both the entire tap and only the leaking internal parts.
If you want to replace only part of the tap, then you need to understand that there is a leak from the hot or cold water valve. To do this, turn off one valve at a time. Start with a cold water valve.
When you understand which valve has failed, you need to disassemble the handle and replace the cartridge or the washer.
If you live in areas with hard water, you will most likely need to replace the entire faucet.
This is probably the most common plumbing problem, and in most cases, you can easily deal with it yourself using a plunger and elbow grease.
There is another way. Get some dishwashing detergent. You will need about half a glass. Pour it along the sides of the toilet along with hot water. Leave the toilet for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse. Dishwashing liquid will provide the necessary lubrication and make rinsing easier.
If these two methods did not help you, you still have to call a plumber, because the blockage has formed further in the drainage system, and without special skills, you cannot cope with it.
You may be surprised, but replacing a toilet is not as difficult as you might think, but of course, it is a more laborious process than replacing a valve in a faucet, and it will take more time.
Often people decide to call a plumber to replace the toilet, not because it is difficult, but rather because of the not very pleasant nature of the work, and of course, completely unpleasant smells. If you do not want to tolerate this, then it is better to call a specialist, but in general, this work can be done by you.
Frozen pipes can be pretty nerve-wracking, but if the area is not very large, then you can handle it yourself.
You will need a lot of dexterity and attentiveness to do this job. It is imperative to isolate the power supply of the electrical device to avoid unpleasant or very dangerous incidents.
You need to find the source of the leak. To do this, check the hose attachments, make sure that all clamps are not loose, and tighten them.
If this action does not help, then you will have to replace the block. This is not such a difficult process, but rather laborious, so people often decide to call a special service for this work.
I bring over 9 years of dedicated plumbing experience to the table. As a seasoned professional in the plumbing industry, I've tackled a wide range of projects, from residential repairs to large-scale commercial installations.