Don’t Make These Common DIY Plumbing Mistakes
Many homeowners like to do things themselves. While they may have a little trepidation tackling plumbing issues, a lot of people want to give it a try before calling in a plumbing company. Life is a learning experience, and as a homeowner, it’s important to know how to care for your home. Certainly, there are projects that are fine to tackle without professional help, but if you’re going to give them a try, then you need to beware of these common DIY plumbing mistakes.
Forgetting To Turn the Water Off
This may sound like a no-brainer, but failure to turn off the water supply to the home before starting work is a mistake a lot of people make. If you try to remove a pipe or other fixture without turning the water off first, you’re in for a big surprise! Find your home’s main water line so you can turn it off when you need to.
Lacking Proper Tools And Skills
Many people have some basic plumbing knowledge, so they feel confident attempting projects around the home. The problem is that most people won’t admit when they’re in over their head and need to call a plumbing company.
If there are things you want to try to do yourself first, then go online and watch a tutorial video. That way, you’ll know if you have all the tools you need as well as if it’s a task you’re capable of. If you want to try your hand at your own plumbing work, then you’ll more than likely need these basic tools:
- Plumber’s wrench
- Hand auger
- Basin wrench
Drain Cleaner Overuse
A part of home ownership no one can avoid is a clogged drain. Luckily, it’s usually an easy fix—as long as you don’t overuse drain cleaner. Drain cleaners are okay to use occasionally, but if you find yourself using them often, then you need to consider other methods. You should try to resolve persistent clogs with:
- Drain snake – You can rent this at your local home improvement store.
- Natural drain cleaners – Instead of using chemicals, use natural things such as salt, vinegar, baking soda, and water to flush your drains and try to resolve a clog.
- Hand auger – These are inexpensive tools that use a long, stiff cable to get down to clogs and clean them out.
Unpermitted Work
Minor home renovations are something many homeowners will want to attempt at some point, but you need to remember that some work will require a plumbing company in order to be in line with local building codes. If you attempt work without the proper permits, then it can cause you trouble in the future when you try to sell your home or insure it.
You also need to keep in mind that building codes and permits are in place to keep you safe. If you make changes to your home that aren’t permitted, then you could make a dangerous error that goes undetected for a while. If you want to tackle your own renovations, you need to familiarize yourself with local regulations.
There’s nothing wrong with learning more about plumbing, but you should remember that when in doubt, call a plumber!
