KANSAS CITY, MO – There’s a good balance when it comes to pipeline repairs. On the one hand, doing it yourself can save you a lot of money, learn about your home systems, and feel the satisfaction of a job well done. On the flip side, if you screw up a repair, you can potentially turn a simple, common plumbing problem into a plumbing emergency, adding massive water damage to your eventual repair bill. It’s important to distinguish a simple job that you can do yourself from a situation where you need to call a plumber right away.
How skilled are you when it comes to plumbing problems?
The most important factor in deciding whether to call a plumber is your own handiness and experience. If you’ve built your own house and ran all the plumbing yourself, you are likely to be up to any challenge. However, if you’ve never picked up a wrench before, then think twice before tackling anything more difficult than a leaky faucet.
Of course, you can do some work yourself without any experience. The key is knowing when to stop before you make things worse. Here are some of the tasks that even a complete amateur can potentially solve:
A clogged drain: These are usually simple tasks that you can do with a flask or water snake. More importantly, even if you fail to clear the clogged drain, it’s hard to make things worse.
A leaking faucet: This is a trickier task and requires some rudimentary plumbing tools, but as long as you remember to turn off the water before starting and carefully follow the directions, you may be able to fix a leaking faucet yourself, even if you haven’t experience than that Plumber.
An incorrectly set flush stopper: Another relatively simple task that only requires a pair of pliers. Plus, the repair is down the drain, not the pipe that supplies the water, so you can do less damage that can be caused in the event of a disaster.
When to take on a plumber
After you’ve mastered the basics and expanded your skills a bit, you may find yourself more comfortable taking on more complicated tasks. However, you need to know your limits. Here are some jobs that you should really call a plumber for.
A leaking pipe: A leaky pipe can potentially do a lot more damage than a leaky faucet. If you let it run too long, it can burst – and then you have a big mess on your hands, and an expensive one at that!
Problems with your water heater: Even if you are skilled in the craft, water heaters are complex machines. No matter what problem you have – leaks, constant running, standing water – give your local plumber a call. We can also advise you when it is time to replace the heater.
Problems with your sewer line: This is another repair that is best left to the professionals! Like water heaters, sewer pipes are complicated and any problems must be corrected correctly the first time. Common signs of sewer problems include smelly smells from your drains, slow drains, mold around your plumbing equipment, pools of water in your yard, and overflowing toilets. If you notice any of these things, give us a call today!
Always remember – there’s no shame in calling a plumber if you’re overwhelmed with even the simplest of repairs. Better to soak it up and get help from a professional than doing a sloppy or incomplete job that causes even more trouble later. Another benefit of hiring a plumber is that he or she is more likely to spot issues that you might be overlooking, like outdated pipe materials or mold under the sink.
If you need assistance, call your local Benjamin Franklin Plumbing at (816) 327-1160 or Request an appointment online!
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