Plumbing Mistakes That Can Cost You Big: Avoid These 5 Errors
Plumbing is a funny thing. There’s an intricate and crucial series of pipes right inside the walls of your house, and yet you often don’t think about them until something goes wrong. But here’s the thing about plumbing: Make one little mistake, like one of the five mentioned below, and you could end up paying big in the long run.
#1 Using Cheap Plumbing Materials
When it comes to plumbing, quality matters. A homeowner might take the plumbing in a home for granted because it doesn’t seem important, but mistakes with these fixtures can lead to big expenses. You might think that buying the lowest-priced plumbing materials when building a home or business is a great way to save money, but it actually leads to huge expenses later.
When building a new property or making major repairs, you want commercial plumbing fixtures that will last for up to 40 years, especially the pipes, hangers, and connectors that are located inside walls. Replacing these items requires making holes in drywall or wood paneling along with a major expense for labor.
#2 Performing Do-It-Yourself Repairs
While DIY projects can be rewarding, plumbing repairs are not the place to cut corners. There are numerous books on the market telling you how simple it is to make a plumbing repair, but the reality is that fixing or installing pipes and fixtures is not an easy task. The faucet in your bathroom may look simple until it is taken apart, but there are numerous tiny parts that require correct installation to make it work.
There are also certain processes that are necessary when making a plumbing repair that you have never considered such as turning off electricity and water to avoid damage and injuries. You might get started with what looks like a simple repair, but it turns into a disaster, leaving you with a huge mess.
#3 Ignoring Small Problems
The phrase “ignorance is bliss” does not apply to plumbing issues. You may notice that a kitchen sink is draining slowly while making gurgling noises but decide to ignore it until garbage begins to backflow into the fixture. Ignoring small plumbing problems can lead to bigger problems later when it is not as convenient to have a fixture repaired.
If you call a plumber when a drain is sluggish, then they can remove debris with an auger before cleaning sewer lines to avoid a difficult clog of garbage in a sink’s drain.
#4 Failing to Maintain Equipment
Maintenance is key to a well-functioning plumbing system. Plumbing fixtures in homes and businesses require maintenance on a regular basis to help the devices have a longer life span and avoid inconvenience. A water heater requires draining at least once a year to remove a buildup of sediments that lead to a rusting tank and less heated water.
At the same time, a water heater’s mechanisms require an inspection to make sure its power supply wires and connectors are in tip-top condition to avoid an explosion or fire. Proper maintenance of plumbing fixtures can also save people money on their utility bills.
#5 Not Hiring a Licensed Plumber
Leave it to the professionals. There are good reasons to hire a licensed plumbing contractor to make installations, repairs, or maintenance, including the safety of a building’s occupants. Poorly installed and maintained plumbing fixtures can lead to injuries such as falling on wet surfaces.
