Everyone will face a plumbing problem, whether it is a simple blockage or, more serious, a flood. How you approach problems when they arise and how you repair your plumbing are essential to minimizing these unpleasant incidents.
Quick repairs
Whether you have a house full of holiday guests or you’re just in a hurry, sometimes it’s easy to think that rushing into plumbing is a good idea. The reality is that rushing into plumbing work is never a good idea, no matter how much pressure you may feel.
The most common mistake in this area is quite simple… forgetting to turn off the water. If you know you need to turn off the water, don’t take any chances. Also, when in doubt, just to be on the safe side, always turn off the water. Turning that little handle or tap can mean the difference between the nightmare of a fountain gushing with a loud noise and a calm, quick and careful job.
Leave your plumbing connected in winter
When it comes to devastating indoor floods, surprisingly, a large number of them are caused by burst frozen pipes. A key part of winter home maintenance is disconnecting your garden hoses and, if you have a separate control, turning off the water to your outdoor faucets.
Frozen pipes can easily burst, as water expands when it freezes and pipes are not designed to accommodate this expansion. Water damage can completely destroy a basement, leaving you wading through ankle-deep water as you try to save your belongings. This type of flooding severely damages floors, walls and fixtures. If a pipe bursts overnight and isn’t discovered until morning, thousands of dollars in damage will have already been done. If the leak appears in the floor or walls of your home, the damage can be even greater, as the leak may have gone unnoticed for a longer period of time.
Take a moment this winter to disconnect your outdoor plumbing. It’s best to do this before the first hard freeze, so check when it’s most likely to occur in your area and mark it on your calendar.
Overuse of Drain Cleaner
A quick glance at the warnings on a bottle of Drain Cleaner will tell you that it is a powerful product. Products designed to maintain and unclog drains often contain very harsh chemicals. If used regularly, they work quite well, with no adverse effects. However, if there is a persistent blockage in the same pipe, Drain Cleaners can do more harm than good.
We tend to think that pipes are hard to damage, and they are. However, they are not invincible. Overuse of something as corrosive as a clog remover can eat away at the pipe, whether it is made of metal or PVC. If your toilet or sink drain is a constant clog, clog removers won’t do the trick and can damage your pipes and waste your money.
Persistent blockages are usually caused by something stuck in the pipe, way down where you can’t see or reach with a traditional household drain cleaner. This could be a child’s toy, a piece of jewelry, or even a tree root! For blockages that keep coming back, it’s best to call a professional plumber. They have larger, stronger drain cleaners, and they’re also experienced in dealing with the situation.
You are tackling work that is beyond your skills
The last common mistake is also the biggest and most expensive. Too often, homeowners feel like they have to be able to fix anything and everything in their home, regardless of their past experience. Sometimes, a handyman at home thinks he has enough experience to tackle any type of plumbing job, simply because he has fixed leaky faucets before.
Taking on a job that you know (or even suspect) is beyond your skill level is simply a bad idea. Worse, it’s a bad idea that could cost you literally thousands of dollars in repairs. There’s a wide range of difficulty when it comes to plumbing jobs, and taking an honest look at your skill level before taking it on is the best decision you can make.
Fairly simple jobs like installing a new faucet, replacing a section of pipe, or even installing certain types of prefabricated pipes or shower surrounds can be accomplished by most DIY homeowners, with a little training. However, the smart homeowner knows where his or her limit lies.
Any work that involves disconnecting main pipes, working on hidden pipes in walls or floors, or re-doing your bathroom plumbing requires the expertise of an experienced plumber. In most cases, these larger jobs require permits. In addition, one of the reasons they are difficult is that they require professional knowledge and the risk of error is high. Don’t take any risks and call in professionals if you think you won’t be able to handle all aspects of the plumbing work. It is safer and wiser to pay a plumber now than to call one later, to intervene after the damage has appeared.
Find the best local plumbers
Finding a reputable and reliable plumber is usually a difficult thing, especially if you are new to the area. Call Plombier Gatineau for all your plumbing needs.