The average home has an extensive plumbing network. Just think of how many items in your home require plumbing. There is maybe one faucet for the kitchen sink, another faucet for the bathroom, and yet another outside near your garden or shed. Add toilets, showers, and baths to the mix and you have a comprehensive plumbing system that supplies water throughout your home, among other areas.
However, at one point or another, something is bound to go wrong. One of your faucets may start leaking or simply not work at all. An underground pipe might burst and cause damage to your entire property. These are problems that need immediate fixing – but who should fix them? Can you fix them yourself or should you call a professional?
When to Do It Yourself
There is a host of plumbing jobs that you can tackle with confidence. One such job is a leaky faucet. Repairing a leaky faucet is easy once you know what type of faucet you have. There are four kinds of faucets: cartridge, disc, compression, and ball type. Of these four faucet types, only the compression faucet relies on rubber washers. If your compression faucet is leaking, then the washer is to blame – you will have to replace it. Make sure that you have the right size when buying a new one. If you have one of the other three faucet types, then you have to replace the O-ring or neoprene seal.
Another easy plumbing job is unclogging a drain. Who hasn’t encountered a clogged drain at least once in their life? If you haven’t, then you’re lucky. Still, knowing how to de-clog a clogged drain should be on your list of things to know. There are many reasons a drain could be clogged. One of them is hair, which can bind with grease and cause large blockages in your drain system. The best fix for this is to make sure that it doesn’t happen in the first place: put guards over your drains to catch hair and other debris – and ensure that you clean these guards regularly. However, if your drain is already clogged, the easiest fix would be to pour boiling water down the drain.
When to Call an Expert
No matter how handy you are, there are jobs that you really should not try to fix yourself. An example would be replacing any pipework. It may look like an easy and straightforward process, but you’d be wrong – make the smallest mistake and you’ll be starting over from the beginning, or even worsen the problem. The job could quickly spiral out of your control.
This is when you call in the plumbing experts. They’ll come in vans armed with flatbed toolboxes containing all the gear and equipment for the job. With the right tools, as well as experience and knowledge, experts can quickly and easily do the job.
It’s good to know how to fix things around the house, especially when it comes to plumbing. However, as systems and homes become more sophisticated, it’s best to call the professionals if you’re not sure you can tackle a job yourself.
