The Dangers of DIY Plumbing

Unlike building Ikea furniture or installing new curtain hardware in your home, plumbing is one job best left to the professionals at Brothers Plumbing. DIY—do it yourself—plumbing projects can go south pretty quickly. If you get even one step wrong, it could lead to a bill that is a lot higher than if you called a professional off the bat. But money isn’t the only issue that you can run into.

Below, we have compiled a list of the dangers of DIY plumbing.

Flooding Your Home

Perhaps one of the most costly consequences of DIY plumbing is flooding. A common mistake that amateurs make is forgetting to shut off the water before starting a plumbing project. What may begin as a slow drip can turn into a disaster, and if you happen to break a valve in the process, you may not be able to find the main shut-off before it is too late. Worse still, you might not even know where your water shut-off is located. Nobody wants to spend their afternoon cleaning up a flood in their home.

Burst or Broken Pipes

Something won’t budge? It probably just needs some elbow grease, right? Maybe try hitting it a bit harder? That should do the trick!

WRONG! One of the fastest ways to have a burst or broken pipe on your hands is to try and wriggle something loose all on your own. If you happen to break a pipe during a DIY plumbing project and you haven’t turned off your water, your well-intentioned actions could become even more disastrous than you initially thought.

Improper Repairs

One of the most certifiable ways you can guarantee that your home will have a long-term and costly plumbing problem is to do a repair improperly, and it’s easy to get plumbing repairs wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Even something small, like the wrong type or size of washer, means an ineffective repair. Some repairs, like your dishwasher, water heater, or washing machine, can involve not only the water and plumbing, but also your gas connections, electrical, and other challenges. If you mess up in this regard, you could be setting yourself up for a fire or gas leak.

Expense

If you do your own DIY plumbing, you may be setting out to save money, but it will probably cost you more in the long run. Not only could you potentially do the repair incorrectly, but you probably don’t have the tools to get the job right. Once you have invested the time to acquire specialized tools and the materials and knowledge for the job, you might as well have called a professional to get it done.

The Bad News about Drain Cleaners

It’s a common occurrence: You turn on the water in your sink, shower, or tub and instead of flowing down the drain, it begins to back up. However, you might want to think again before reaching for a bottle of drain cleaner.

What the companies that make drain cleaners don’t tell you is that their products can be more harmful to your pipes than good. Not only are they poisonous for humans, but they harm animals and the environment since you are putting them directly into the water system. As well, these chemicals are highly corrosive and can end up sitting in your pipes, slowly eating them away, especially if your problem is drain blockage. The damage associated with this can be extremely costly.

Connect with a Professional Plumber

So there you have it—plumbing is best left to the experts. Before you start on any DIY plumbing projects, always have the number of a reliable, experienced plumbing company on hand so that you can talk to a professional. At Brothers Plumbing, we deliver quick and efficient service right when you need it most. Don’t hesitate to contact us today!