Here’s a DIY plumbing epic fail! A household owner stuffs a bunch of plastic bags to seal the sewer opening after removing an old toilet bowl. This is to keep the stinky smell away from the bathroom. The next day, he installed a new commode. He did a test flush after setting it up. He was happy to see the water swirl down and fill up the bowl. But to his dismay, the water went up and up and water gushed all over the floor. When the household owner calls Sydney plumbers, it turns out that he should have removed the plastic bags before installing the new commode.
The internet has changed people’s lives. It makes it easy for people to search for answers to their questions. They can get instant access to DIYs, how-tos, and video tutorials. But there should be a line drawn among them. It may be satisfying to turn the handle of an old bike into beautiful décor. Or it may be great to build your coffee table. But it’s never a good idea to do DIY plumbing repairs. Most often, trying to address plumbing issues with self-measures can lead to disasters and emergencies. So, save yourself from the potential dangers of DIY plumbing repairs. Hiring plumbing experts costs less and protects you more. Here’s why?
Dangers to Family and Home Safety
Self-repairs on plumbing issues can pose dangers to your family and home’s safety. If you don’t have enough knowledge and skill to address the plumbing issue, there’s a big chance that you can go wrong in your DIY measures. Your household plumbing system is an infrastructure of multiple connections, drains, and pipes. When something goes wrong in one component, it will most likely create a chain reaction affecting the whole plumbing system. Improperly repaired plumbing can typically result in backups, burst pipes, inefficient water flow, and leaks. Backups can be a health hazard to the household and neighbourhood if drains are not properly sealed. Improper pipe replacement can result in bursts and flooding. A wrong toilet setup can lead to water leaks that can damage parts of the house. Another danger of DIY plumbing repair is the lack of proper tools to perform them. It may be dangerous to do so if you DIY without the necessary tools. There’s a risk that you can get injured with the complex plumbing components in your system. So, hiring licensed plumbers is your best bet.
Little Mistakes Can Lead to Bigger Plumbing Issues
That’s right, little mistakes can lead to bigger plumbing issues. Sydney plumbers have enough expertise and skills to properly diagnose your plumbing issues. For example, toilet water that keeps running may be caused by different reasons. Household owners often think that they can solve the issue easily. But their lack of knowledge may fail them to pinpoint the correct cause of the problem. They may waste their money and time buying up parts they taught is needed. But they end up not resolving the issue and needing to spend more money and time in the end. It is also easy to go wrong without the skill level needed in addressing plumbing issues. An attempt to replace a broken pipe with a different material can result in chemical reactions. As they build up, they can cause the pipes to burst or crack. The same goes for overly tight bolts in the pipe fittings. Forcing stuck valves can end up snapping the knob or valve stem.
Risk of Fines and Penalties
Australian plumbing law is incredibly strict. For them, plumbing is a licenced trade and its works are beyond the scope of an ordinary household member. So, unless you are trained and have the licence to do plumbing works, you are not allowed to do so. This is to protect the health and safety of the community. There are some exemptions to the rule, and they are very minimal. An ordinary layman is allowed to do minor plumbing repairs like caulking around the sink, fixing a leaking faucet, or installing new taps. Yet, there are cases when you can be fined or penalised for improper DIY repairs. Mixed-up elbows, tees, and wyes can result in unpleasant drain odours and plumbing code violations. Once the government discovers that you’ve made unauthorised plumbing activities, you’ll also be at risk of fines and penalties. So, hiring licensed plumbers costs less and protects you more. They are legally authorised to do plumbing repairs and work.
You Can End Up Costing More Down the Line
Most households thought that going the DIY route is more economical. They want to save the cost of paying plumbing service fees. The problem is that most DIY repairs are susceptible to mistakes. Because you don’t have the exact plumbing knowledge and skills, you’ll end up messing the repair. These could lead to more costs, fines, and penalties. Anyway, you’ll slice it, you’ll end up hiring professional plumbers and paying them to fix the mistakes you’ve made.