Translating…
There is not a house that does not have its share of plumbing problems, whether it’s a new home or not. Pipes suddenly burst, your hot water suddenly goes cold or your toilet backs up – any of these can happen anytime or during the most inopportune moments, which is because one of the things you need to have handy around the house are the numbers of the best plumbers in town.
However, finding a plumber to get the job done quickly and easily is not the easiest thing to do and it’s not for lack of resources. You can basically hire any plumber that your finger lands on in the yellow pages but the real problem would be talking to them and explaining what you want done. The thing is, most people would rather fix the problem themselves and end up with stepping in 3-inches of water flooding their living rooms.
DIY plumbing jobs can be rewarding and save you a lot of money if you’re careful and you really know what you’re doing. Some of these jobs can include fixing leaky faucets or replacing your toilets but unless you have old or poorly installed plumbing, these quick fixes can turn just as quickly into nightmares. However, these can also be just as quickly avoided if you know these four things: where your water shut-offs are, know how to sweat copper pipes, understand your home and have a complete toolbox.
Then again, if you are hopeless as a DIY-er, your best bet would be to contact a plumber in cases of plumbing emergencies. While you do not have to reach for the phone every time, there are situations where your meager expertise just will not cut it and here are examples of situations when you must hire a plumber to do the job:
1. When permits are required
If you are planning on remodeling your bathroom, removing existing plumbing or planning to install a new gas line, permits will be required and firing professional plumbers means having someone know the entire process, as well as the building codes so that the inspection goes through well .
2. Main line problems
As mentioned, when your toilets are backing up, the most probable cause for these may be stemming from the main line. Fixing the main line usually requires special equipment that most homeowners do not have and while renting the required equipment is an option, without much experience and expertise, this is basically a moot point.
3. When you need to replace your shower valves
Time consuming and tedious even to the most expert plumbers, it can even be more of a challenge for an avid but inexperienced DIY-er. First there’s the matter of choosing the right-sized valve for your shower and then there’s installing it with the least amount of damage and only a professional will be able to do both.
4. When your hot water goes cold
There are a lot of things that can go wrong when you try to fix your water heater on your own. You can end up making the problem worse even if it looks like all you need to do is a simple adjustment.
When you’ve determined the reasons you need to call a plumber, this is the time to beginning having “the talk” with them beginning with the cost. Ask for a rough estimate early on to avoid confusion or miscommunication. Different contractors charge different rates that can sometimes be a flat one or one that will include the trip, diagnosis and actual repairs done so you and he need to be very clear about these things.
Another thing to remember is to share your history and tell the plumber about all the things you could have done that could have led to the problem. This will help the plumber diagnose the problem correctly and therefore, fix it. And lastly, consider this plumber’s visit an education of sorts – ask how you can prevent the same thing from happening again and if it does, are there any quick fixes you can do? Knowledge is power so use it to your advantage.