4 Common DIY Plumbing Mistakes
The cost of hiring a professional plumber is quite high even for the small plumbing tasks. In an attempt to save some money, many house owners will opt to carry out the small fixes on their own instead of hiring a professional. However, any small mistake when carrying out a plumbing fix could lead to a bigger problem which can only be fixed by an emergency plumber London. Such an emergency situation will cost you more in terms of added fees by the plumber (they charge more to respond to emergencies) and spoilt materials.
The most common plumbing mistake involves wrong selection of pipes when repairing leaks in your house. This is both in terms of the size and the type of the pipe to be used. The pipes may therefore fail to fit into each other as desired. Using too much force when connecting two pipes or forcing the connectors may break the pipes or the connectors. Further leaks may develop along the pipes and they may burst when pressure builds up. Corrosion may also occur if you get the type wrong. Professional plumbers know when to use galvanized pipes and when to use copper. Connecting the two will lead to corrosion which will require frequent replacement of the pipes.
Improvising makeshift tools and equipment in place of what the professional plumber uses is another common mistake. For instance, many people use marbles or ball bearings in place of a real level when installing or repairing bathroom fixtures. A ball bearing may not exactly work when checking the level and this could force you into unnecessary reworks. Getting the level wrong when installing the toilet could also lead to slow flow of sewer or even backups. Using the right tools for a given task will not only save you time but will also ensure that the pipes do not crack as you are fitting them.
There is need to have a good design of where the sewer pipes are to be placed. This is especially the case when carrying out plumbing work in the upper floors of a building. An odd DIY plumbing mistake involves routing the pipes in the wrong places such that they interfere with occupants of the lower floors. Imagine a scenario where you are always woken up by the sound of toilet flushing from upper floors. A common practice by professional plumbers involves designing the drainage network before implementation.
The last DIY plumbing mistake in the list is failure to turn off the water stopcock before attempting any repairs. This is always the first thing that a professional plumber will do even for the smallest plumbing tasks. Doing so prevents flooding which could cause damage to household items. It will also take you extra time to drain the water from the room.
Trying to fix a small problem on your own and getting it wrong could create a bigger problem. Hiring an emergency plumber London to fix the bigger problem will cost you more. You should therefore take your time when doing your own plumbing work to avoid such mistakes or call a professional plumber in case you are not sure about how to fix the problem.
