The toilet is running and you decide to go ahead and fix it yourself. After all, it can’t be that difficult, can it?
While many things can be done yourself around your home, not all plumbing issues are ready for a DIYer. In fact, unless you are a qualified plumber, there are definitely some things to avoid doing yourself. Stopping the running toilet or flushing out a drain is fine to handle on your own if you know what to do, but here are some situations that you definitely should call a plumber for.
1. You’re Not Sure What the Problem Is
When something is wrong with the plumbing, but you’re not sure . . . leave it to the professionals. It may be tempting to just open things up and start disconnecting pipes, but if you can’t figure out what is going on, you’ll end up paying far more to have a plumber fix what you’ve done.
Plumbers have the expertise to rapidly diagnose a problem and fix it. This means they can go directly to the issue, without pulling all sorts of pipes out, saving you time and money in the long run.
2. The Quick Fix Didn’t Work
If you’ve tried plunging the toilet or pouring boiling water down your clogged drain, but nothing works, it’s time for a plumber. You don’t necessarily have the right tools for a bigger problem, whereas a plumber certainly will. It’s fine to try some basic methods to fix a clog, but as soon as you notice it’s not working, bring in an expert to avoid bigger repairs later on.
3. It Involves Hot Water
Any issues with your hot water and you are better off calling in your plumber to deal with it. Not only can hot water be dangerous, it also causes more damage when you have a leak, so you really want it managed properly the first time.
4. The Pipe is In the Wall
Pipes within walls are not a good place for amateurs to try their hand at DIY. These require care, as you need to open the wall up and with minimal damage. It also means you should be quite certain of where the problem is, which a plumber can determine accurately.
If you attempt to do this on your own, you could end up with a lot of broken walls and some serious repairs to do. It’s also possible you may end up not fixing the problem and will need to call someone in, as well.
5. The Pipe is Under the Floor
Similar to the wall issue, a plumber is the best option for any type of pipes that are hidden beneath the floor. If they’re not accessible from underneath, the floor will need to be torn up and this can be quite the operation if you aren’t careful. Again, a plumber will do best with this.
Do you need a plumber? Contact Gastech today.
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