Everyone wants to save a few dollars around their home by doing the maintenance and upkeep themselves if they’re able to. We all have our DIY projects. The problem is knowing when it’s a simple fix that you can take care of yourself and when it’s actually more cost-effective to call in a professional, particularly when it comes to the plumbing and heating services. Plumbing and heating are complex systems where something that may appear to be minor can turn into a major issue fast. This is where a contractor’s expertise such as Grand Comfort is necessary.
To Call The Professional Or Not To Call The Professional
In these various scenarios, we’ll look at instances where it would be okay to do the plumbing and heating work as a DIY project and where it would be best to have an expert such as Grand Comfort plumbing and heating come take a look at the project.
Doing It Yourself
- Toilet is running. Your toilet has the potential to waste as much as 200 gallons of water within a day it is running on a nonstop basis. Generally, this is the result of a flapper valve which is faulty as it is responsible for controlling the volume of water that goes through the tank to the bowl. You need to turn off the water, drain the toilet tank, remove the faulty flapper valve to take to the hardware store in order to buy the replacement, and then reinstall the new one making sure you turn the water back on when done. Test it with a few flushes.
- Drains backed up. Take a pot of boiling hot water and put it down the sink adding ½ cup of baking soda after. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and then add one cup of vinegar followed by a cup of very hot water. Cover with the drain plug so the reaction of bubbling stays within the drain and leave it for upwards of 10 minutes. Flush again with another pot of boiling water. If this fails, purchase a drain snake and then on to a professional drain cleaning.
- Toilet clog. Always try the plunger first using steady ups and downs to loosen the clog, may require several minutes of vigorous plunging. If the plunger is ineffective, may need a snake or auger from hardware to move the clog out of the piping.
Hire a Professional
- Leaks. Leaks may appear to be small but could cause major issues and possibly serious damage before you realize. It’s best to have an expert inspect rather than risk added expensive repairs.
- Water heater. Many homeowners like to attempt to replace the water heaters but there are just so many connections and a variety of parts for this to be considered a DIY project. A professional will give you accurate replacement suggestions and an expert install so that your water heater is back up in no time.
- Installations. For any type of major appliance or all fixture installs, you will be best to have a professional. A licensed plumber will be able to safely connect and disconnect the piping and figure out any types of issues that may come about throughout the process. The slightest mistake will result in water damage or possibly burst pipes, causing very costly damages.Before you consider doing a DIY repair that involves your plumbing or heating, you should have an inspection from a professional such as Grand Comfort plumbing and heating. This could save you loads of money in the long run.
