The Big 3 – 3 Plumbing Issues Best Left to the Pros

In the internet/digital era do-it-yourselfers are more confident than ever as most things are just a quick internet search away.  Many people have adopted this DIY attitude for renevating homes, making basic repairs and for tackling plumbing projects. But for us at Heaton plumbing DIY red flags pop up when dealing with your water or waste supply lines.  Because these are precarious plumbing systems they can lead to some potentially disastrous results when you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, or have the right tools. Below, we’ve outlined the top 3 plumbing projects that are best left for the professionals.

1 – New Water and Electricity Connections

In everyone’s home there are a few areas where both water and electricity are going to have to live together. Think of appliances that require both of these things to do their job properly, such as dishwashers and water heaters. If these things are already in your home, upgrading them or swapping them out shouldn’t be a plumbing disaster, or an electrical one, as all the plumbing and electrical work has already been set. If, however, you want to add any of these yourself, or any other appliance requiring a water and electrical connection, think again and be cautious.

What can happen? Consider the most common of these examples which is a dishwasher. Although not too difficult to add to an existing setup in the same location, installing a new one with intake and discharge lines as well as running electricity to it can lead to multiple problems including a flooded floor, shorting out the dishwasher, leaks you can’t see that ruin your subfloor, or even shocking yourself. Also, with many of these appliances the warranty can be voided if a professional doesn’t do the install.

2 – Bathroom Troubles

Unless you’re doing a simple drain cleaning or uncloging a toilet just about anything you do in your bathroom involving plumbing is going to require a plumber, at least if you want it done without major problems. That’s because a plumber’s expertise is needed not just for what you’re adding or changing in a bathroom, but also for what you don’t see.

Installing nearly anything new or old in a bathroom is often best handled by the pros. They not only have the knowledge of how to best run the new plumbing or fix the old, but they also have the specialty tools and equipment needed to do the job.

3 – Sewer Lines: Do you really want to work w/ these anyway?

There are a laundry list of reasons for hiring a professional when it comes to fixing, installing, or doing anything to home sewer lines. The obvious problem that can occur is the horrible, and very unpleasant-to-clean mess you’d have on your hands if you were to make a mistake. Even a small mistake… However smelly and disgusting as that error would be to fix, it’s actually nothing compared to the dangers that can occur from a sewer line mishap, such as released sewer gases. Sewer gases that escape after cutting into a line or leaving a seal out are not always noticeable to the nose. In fact, they are often odorless and can go unnoticed until you and/or your pets begin feeling ill. The only safe way to detect sewer gas and know for sure if there’s an issue is to have a plumber do the repairs. With a gas leak detector,they can easily detect any problem early on, making sure you and your family do not end up becoming the biggest part of a plumbing disaster.

For these reason we suggest you leave it to the pros for the above issues.  If you believe you have any issues involving the big 3 contact us today for a free appraisal!