If you would like an illuminating demonstration of the kind of damage amateurs can do to a home’s plumbing system, consider watching the 1940 educational film A Plumbing We Will Go starring the Three Stooges. Although Larry, Curly and Moe had good intentions, their lack of any formal training resulted in multiple types of expensive property damage. They messed up so badly that water began spraying out of the gas range, which shouldn’t even be possible.
If you already know your way around a mole wrench, then we don’t mean to discourage you from attempting your own plumbing repairs. But if you don’t yet appreciate the differences between a street elbow and a 45° elbow, then you should know the four reasons why you should leave plumbing repair to the experts.
Amateur Repairs Can Cause Property Damage
Some plumbing repairs are accessible to laymen. You don’t need a doctoral degree from MIT to operate a plunger or repair a showerhead. But even when they appear straightforward, most plumbing projects are too complex for the average Joe to take on.
For example, consider replacing a toilet. Each step seems simple enough on its own, but it is extremely easy to damage the water line while connecting or disconnecting a toilet. Furthermore, failing to seal a toilet correctly can cause water damage to multiple floors of a home. Drain unclogging, water heater installation, leaky pipe repair and shower valve replacement are all projects that carry similar risks of property damage when they aren’t performed by a professional.
Certain Plumbing Products Can Cause Property Damage
Cost-conscious DIY plumbers often purchase inexpensive fittings, unaware of the fact that they aren’t up to code and are far more likely to fail and leak. A professional, on the other hand, knows precisely which cheap parts are dependable and which aren’t worth bothering with. As such they can keep their costs low without sacrificing the quality requisite to guarantee reliable plumbing.
Products like Drano and Liquid-Plumr promise a fast and inexpensive fix for clogged drains, but they can do extensive damage to plumbing. Chemical drain cleaners generate heat while they dissolve clogs. That is why frequent use of such products can also dissolve the adhesive that joins pipes together, and even cause older pipes to crack and leak. While sparing use of chemical drain cleaners can be safe, it cannot substitute for a drain technician’s work.
Plumbing Repair Can Be Dangerous
There are more dangerous jobs than plumbing, although roofers, loggers and police officers aren’t the only ones who have to deal with occupational hazards. Plumbers must take especial care to avoid slip and fall injuries, eye injuries, hearing damage, hypothermia and hyperthermia. Plumbers often suffer from tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome as well. Granted, these are repetitive stress injuries that you aren’t likely to suffer if you only pick up a wrench occasionally, although we must point out how easily you can harm yourself while you are using unfamiliar tools!
Plumbing Repair Eats Up Time
You’re not the first person to wish there were more hours in a day. You probably already have a busy schedule that affords little spare time for DIY projects. Now consider this: It can easily take a layman upward of four hours to replace a single toilet – and that’s not counting the time it takes to drive to the store, identify which toilet is best for their unique toileting needs, and then transport the 100-pound fixture to their bathroom.
A plumber doesn’t just offer dependable plumbing. They are also in the business of providing convenience: assurance that you can go about your day as planned instead of performing exhausting and intricate manual labor.
Would you like to avoid property damage, injury and inconvenience? Then leave the plumbing repairs to the professionals! Whether you need leak repair, pipe installation, sump pump maintenance or any other subset of an expert plumber’s skill set, we welcome you to contact Gilk Plumbing, Heating & A/C today. We provide comprehensive plumbing services in Albany, Avon, Cold Spring, Eden Valley, Freeport, Kimball, Lake Henry, Paynesville, Richmond, Rockville, St. Joseph and Watkins, Minnesota!
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