DIY Problems – When to Get a Professional Plumber In

There’s something immensely satisfying with undertaking a job yourself and conquering a problem.  But there are also some jobs where you should either call an expert immediately or at the first sign of real trouble and one of those areas is regarding the plumbing in your property.  So how do you know when to call a plumber?

Preparation

The absolute first thing you should do before starting any plumbing job is to locate the stopcock or water valve.  In homes around Stourbridge, these will often be under the kitchen sink but regardless of where it is, you should locate it and operate it before doing anything.  If you can’t shut off the water or there are signs of the valve not working properly, then call in a plumber immediately – this can be a major leak if it malfunctions completely.

It also pays to gain a good basic working knowledge of the plumbing system in your home.  Where are all the pipes, where do they go from the sink or toilet to deposit their waste?  Where can you access pipes and where are they hidden behind walls and other features?  Knowing where a certain pipe is can be key to knowing if you can DIY the job or need help.

Finding a leak

Often you can be doing a bit of work around the house and notice that a pipe is leaking slightly.  This might seem something that you can remedy with a patching kit or something similar but this isn’t always a good idea.  The pressure in the system can quickly make a tiny leak into a bigger one and suddenly there is water gushing everywhere.  So if you think a pipe is leaking or you catch it during other work, definitely call a plumber straight away.

Overtightening components

Plumbing often takes a little finesse as well as strength and it is easy for the DIY fan to apply too much pressure to components and causing damage.  If you think that you have overtightening, strengthen or in any way comprised anything in a plumbing system then you should call a plumber.  Otherwise, when the water starts to flow, the pressure could cause a leak or the system may not work properly.

Being unsure where things went

Despite the best planning, it is easy to look at something and completely forget which bit went where.  While you can often find advice online to help you reassemble the different components in the plumbing system, if you aren’t totally sure that everything fits together properly, then you should call a plumber.  Classic examples are kitchen taps and shower valves – not things you want to work incorrectly!

Conclusion

There’s a lot of things that a keen DIY fan can take on around the house and even some basic plumbing jobs are easily done with the right knowledge and tools.  But if you are in any doubt about the work then it is important that you get a professional plumber to look at it and avoid a nasty leak or burst pipe.