When the water starts bursting out of your pipes, but your wallet already feels too light, you may wonder if your need a plumber to fix a water leak.
We all have this approach to dealing with maintenance problems in our cars or homes. “If it’s simple enough, can I fix it?”
But do you need a plumber to fix your water leak? Not all the time. However, there are some instances where you should call in a plumber, especially if your work requires any sort of permit authorized by your city, county, or state.
What Makes a Licensed Plumber Special?
The most significant way a licensed plumber is different from the average DIY small-town guy or handyman is that a licensed plumber has thousands of hours of experience and has been trained under a master plumber.
By the time a licensed plumber shows up to do any plumbing work in your home, they have likely trained on dozens or hundreds of similar scenarios. The licensing and training set them apart from anyone else attempting plumbing.
Most plumbing jobs, like pipe replacements, hose bib repairs, or toilet installation, are small. While none of these jobs technically requires a plumber, your local neighborhood plumber is probably the first person you will call when something goes wrong.
Most states require licenses for people working on major appliances. In plumbing, this means your water heater and furnace. Working on or near gas lines can be a serious hazard, especially if you aren’t careful with your tools.
If you want to ensure your plumbing issues are repaired by a certified professional with thousands of hours of experience, contact your local plumber.
Plumbers Have Access to Special Tools
Have you checked your plumbing toolbox lately? What’s in there?
Like any other homeowner, you may have a screwdriver, a plunger, a wrench, and a pair of needle-nose pliers. What about plumbers? Have you seen the size of the vans they roll up in?
Plumbers own all the equipment one would need to make any sort of plumbing repair. Some of these tools include:
- Toilet augers.
- Welding kit.
- Pipe cutters.
- Tube benders.
- Pipe threader.
- Snake Machine.
- Drain Inspection Camera.
- Hydro jetting machines.
These tools are often expensive to purchase and difficult to operate. Some of these machines, specifically welding kits and snake machines, are dangerous to misuse. While anyone can put in the time and effort to learn new tools, some of these tools take an impractically large amount of time to attain competence.
Plumbers Have Formal Training
To obtain a plumber’s license, an individual must train under a professional for thousands of hours. This training can include training and certifications for:
- Boilers.
- Heating Systems.
- Air conditioning.
- Pipe inspections.
- Water heaters.
- Mainline repair and replacement.
- Sewer line replacement.
- Drain inspections.
- Hydro jetting.
Being trained in these areas isn’t like being taught by a coworker. Plumbing apprentices start learning from plumbers who have often been in the field for decades. The apprentices will spend days, weeks, months, or even years shadowing and training under licensed and experienced professionals.
Insurance Covers Accidents and Damages
Another reason to get a pro on the job is for insurance.
To do business, plumbers must be insured. This protects their customers and company from the damages that may occur from a plumbing job.
While it is highly unlikely for a plumber’s work to have any problems, it is known to happen. Occasionally, even the most experienced professionals neglect to tighten a screw enough or don’t put enough glue on the pipe.
If a plumber’s work breaks, causing water damage, plumbing insurance covers the cost of repairs, so you don’t have to foot the bill.
Working with any uninsured person — even yourself — doesn’t carry the same protection and guarantee if there is a problem with your plumbing.
Tips for DIY Plumbing
If you want to handle your plumbing problems yourself, there are some things you should be familiar with.
- Know where your water shutoff valve is located.
The first step you should take before fixing your plumbing is to make sure your water supply is shut off.
Every home and apartment should have a main shutoff valve located at the mainline that feeds into the house. This is usually found in the basement or crawlspace of a home.
Without turning off your water, your pipes will remain pressurized, making your job to fix things much more difficult. It could even result in water damage and mold!
- Drain your house’s water before beginning any work.
After turning off your water, you should drain the house piping system through the lowest drain or faucet.
This seems like common sense, but it is easy to forget that even though the main water has been shut off, the rest of the house remains pressurized until it’s released.
If you forget to drain the pipes, you will have a small flooding problem when you start unscrewing or cutting into your pipes. Turning on a sink in your basement and allowing the water to drain before beginning work on the troubled section of the pipe is best.
- Use the right tools.
Be sure to have the right tools before you start working on a job. Apart from the standard tools in your toolbox, you’ll want to equip yourself with plumbing-specific tools such as plumber’s tape and putty.
These tools can help seal up your pipes, ensuring they don’t leak when you turn the water back on.
- Don’t turn your water on unless you have finished fixing the leak.
Don’t turn the main water back on unless you have patched all the pipes you’ve been working on. Doing so will cause your house to flood.
Make sure all your pipes are sealed and ready for water pressure.
When you turn the water on, don’t just walk away. Check your work to ensure you don’t have immediate problems with water leaking from your fix.
Quick Quality Plumbing Can Take Care of All Your Plumbing Needs
You don’t want to fix something that will just break later, so if you are unsure of your ability to fix your leaking water, call in a plumber to fix your water leak.
We have plumbing experts available 24/7 if you need someone to help you in a plumbing emergency. Call us now if you need plumbing help.
