With the rise of the internet, people can find information on various DIY handyman jobs. Plumbing is certainly not an exception. However, trying to take care of all the pipes, tanks, and valves that comprise your home’s plumbing system will actually turn out to be counterproductive. Even with all the plumbing advice that’s available online, it is easy to make mistakes that could have a severe negative effect on your home’s sanitation and water supply. In this post, we will cover all the downsides of DIY plumbing work in greater detail. Then you will be aware of all the things that can go wrong.
You may not save as much money as you have hoped
The main reason why people opt to handle their plumbing issues by themselves involves – money. In some situations, doing all the work by yourself will indeed save you some money. However, the downsides of DIY plumbing work also involve the need to acquire the right tools, which are hard to obtain in some cases. What’s more, before opting for a DIY job, you should certainly consider whether the cost of acquiring new tools is lower than the cost of hiring professionals. If the difference is not significant, it’s a good idea to think twice about your decision.
The time involved is also an important factor. Taking care of your plumbing issues can, in fact, take a lot of your time. In most (if not all) cases, the necessary time you will need to spend does not only include the time it takes to fix the problem but also the time you will need to learn about it. And time is money. So, unless you are willing to take the time to learn (in other words, unless you find that solving issues with plumbing is a fun and interesting activity), it is probably best to rethink the notion of DIY plumbing work.
Tougher issues are much harder to handle on your own
The disadvantages of DIY plumbing work can especially come into play if a problem at hand is a tricky one. Conversely, simple tasks could be manageable. For example, you may need to fix a leak, to make minor pipe repairs, or to unblock the drain. While these jobs will also require the right tools and some allocated time, they are easier to handle than most other plumbing issues you may have.
They can also teach you a few tricks that will prove useful even if you decide to hire professional assistance. For example, whether or not you will be doing everything by yourself, it is certainly useful to know where to find the valve that will shut down the water supply. Doing so will help you in the period of time it takes for the professional plumbers to arrive, and may help you divert a catastrophe.
However, with all other, more substantial problems with plumbing, you can expect to see the downsides of DIY plumbing work very quickly. Simply put, most problems that may arise require extensive knowledge and plenty of experience. Such knowledge is only obtained through hard work. Professional plumbers have years of experience with fixing the plumbing system, which has prepared them much more adequately than a few internet tutorials ever could.
Plumbing work when moving
Tougher problems that we have talked about in the previous paragraph are especially likely to arise in certain situations. For example, when moving to a new home. Even though you may have found a seemingly perfect home, extensive renovations are often in order. And these include the plumbing system. In most cases, you will need a professional plumber to adequately inspect the home and make any necessary repairs. Otherwise, it will be very hard for you to properly gauge home value, as you will not know whether issues with plumbing exist, and how significant they are.
Moving on your own, similarly to plumbing, will usually bring a plethora of unnecessary difficulties. Therefore, we also recommend hiring reliable professional movers, such as the ones working for capitalcitymovers.us. Moving is a very complicated procedure, involving plenty of things to take care of. Packing, shipping, organizing the logistics of your relocation – none of those are easy. And, the worst thing about it is – it also takes a lot of your time. With a full-time job and other everyday obligations, it can be very hard to simultaneously juggle all the tasks that moving entails. On the other hand, with the help of professional movers, this process is made easy.
Downsides of DIY plumbing work involving safety standards
For some plumbing-related work, you may also need a building permit. Therefore, you will also need to be intimately familiar with building codes in your city. However, depending on your location, a certified plumber may not need such a permit. If you have no understanding of how building codes work in your city, it is best to hire professionals who are aware of all the rules and regulations governing plumbing work in your location.
It is important to respect all the building requirements, as well as safety standards, and not just because you may otherwise get in trouble with the law. Not complying with the safety standards can actually lower your home value. And while we’re at it, any other mistakes you may make while trying to fix the plumbing issues will result in additional financial loss. Even worse, they may endanger you and your family. Safety standards exist for a good reason. Not respecting them could lead to fire or floods due to the improper materials you have used or because of the fixtures that are not the right fit.
With all these downsides of DIY plumbing work, it is easy to see that, in most cases, hiring professionals is the right thing to do. If the problem is simple and you are equipped with the right tools and eager to learn, then you might pull it off on your own. Otherwise, it is best not to risk financial loss and, even worse, the health of you and your family.
