Most people know that it’s best to leave the work to the professionals when it comes to plumbing. After all, plumbing is a complex and tricky business, and one mistake can lead to a lot of damage – not to mention expensive repairs.
But what if you don’t have the money for professional services? Is it still possible to do your own plumbing? In a word, yes. But before you decide to take on this task yourself, there are some risks you should know. To give you an idea, let’s compare DIY vs professional plumbing.
What is a Professional Plumbing Service?
Professional plumbing service is a type of service that offers a wide range of services to homeowners and businesses. Companies usually provide this type of service with a team of experienced and licensed professional plumbers who can handle any plumbing needs.
Some of the services that are typically offered by professional plumbing companies, just like JBlanton Plumbing, include:
1.) Emergency plumbing
2.) Plumbing repair
3.) Drain cleaning
4.) Sewer repair
5.) Water heater services
6.) Gas lines services
One of the most significant benefits of using a professional plumbing service is that you can rest assured that the job will be done correctly. Since these companies have a team of experienced professionals, they can handle any plumbing needs that you may have. They also have the necessary tools and equipment to complete any plumbing project.
Professional plumbers have the proper knowledge, skills, tools, and equipment for their job. They also know how to repair or replace any plumbing fixture, including toilets, sinks, bathtubs, showers, faucets, etc.
What is a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) Plumbing?
Do-it-Yourself plumbing is the process of fixing a plumbing problem or installing new plumbing fixtures with the help of a DIY guide most people find online rather than hiring a professional plumber. DIY plumbing can be a great way to save money on home repairs, but it also comes with risks. Let’s take a look at the seven risks a homeowner, like you, can face if you decide to do your DIY plumbing.
Risks of Do-it-Yourself Plumbing:
DIY plumbing can lead to costly mistakes.
If you’re not familiar with plumbing codes and best practices, you may end up making mistakes that cost you more in the long run. For example, if you install a plumbing fixture incorrectly, you may have to call a professional plumber to fix the mistake.
DIY plumbing can be dangerous
Working with pipes and other plumbing fixtures can be dangerous if you’re not familiar with the proper methods and safety practices. DIY plumbers risk suffering electrical shocks, burns, and respiratory injuries when they attempt to do the jobs themselves because they’re not familiar with the tools, techniques, and safety equipment necessary to do the job safely.
DIY plumbing can cause property damage.
When you do DIY plumbing without properly knowing how to do it, you may end up causing significant structural and cosmetic damage to your house and its surrounding property. Plumbing, in general, doesn’t involve just fixing leaks in faucets – it also consists in laying new pipework under your home or behind walls that might damage your walls or floors if done wrong. A DIY plumber who doesn’t know what he’s doing may also accidentally cut through water lines, sewage lines, gas lines while working on pipes under the house.
DIY plumbing can cause financial damage.
In addition to causing property damage, DIY plumbing may also end up resulting in high costs that you weren’t expecting. The leaks or other issues that DIY plumbers often try to fix themselves can lead to costly water damage if they’re not appropriately repaired.
DIY plumbing takes a lot of time.
If DIY isn’t your strong suit, DIY plumbing may take much longer than hiring a professional plumber would take – leaving you with an unfinished project and wasted time on your hands. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, DIY plumbing is best left alone so the professional plumbers can handle it instead.
DIY plumbing can waste water.
If you Do-it-Yourself a simple plumbing fix for leaking or running a toilet, you might end up wasting gallons of clean, drinkable water – water that many people in the world will not have access. This is incredibly wasteful when DIY plumbers try to DIY plumbing fixes they don’t have experience with, ending up wasting more water and money than it saves in the long run.
DIY plumbing is not covered by insurance
Most homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover DIY plumbing repairs. For example, if a DIY repair caused a bigger problem in your home that led to extensive damage or even the loss of certain items, the damages would most likely not be covered by your policy. If you want to ensure that you’re protected and get homeowners insurance benefits, it’s best to hire a professional plumber to handle any plumbing work.
To summarize, here are the pros and cons of Professional vs DIY plumbing:
Professional Plumbing Services
Pros:
1.) Experienced and licensed
2.) Can offer a wide range of plumbing services
3.) Job is done the first time correctly
4.) Complete with tools and equipment
Cons:
1.) Cost more than DIY plumbing
DIY Plumbing
Pros:
1.) Learn basic plumbing skills by following a DIY guide
2.) Save money on labor costs
3.) Become more resourceful
Cons:
1.) Can lead to costly mistakes
2.) Can cause colossal property and financial damage
3.) Can be dangerous
4.) Can waste water
5.) Not covered by insurance
Conclusion:
It’s easy to see that Do-it-Yourself plumbing is neither safe nor economical, whereas hiring a professional plumber means you’ll get the perfect results every time. DIY should never be an option. Call in the pros when you need plumbing work done! If you need more information before deciding whether to DIY or hire professionals or if you need an emergency plumbing service, contact JBlanton Plumbing today! Drop us a line at (773) 724-9242!