Preventing Plumbing Nightmares From Happening In Your Home

avoiding a plumbing emergencyHave you ever heard of or experienced a plumbing nightmare? A plumbing nightmare is when there is a plumbing problem in your home and you hire the least qualified plumber to do the job. As you can imagine, it turns out to be a pretty bad situation. This article talks about how to prevent a plumbing nightmare from happening to you. There are a few tips that you can follow so that you know that you are hiring an honest and qualified plumber. In the following article by ABC7 News, they talk about plumbing nightmares in full detail:

7 On Your Side investigates plumbing nightmares

Trinidad thought she had a solution for a simple problem: low water pressure in her kitchen. She hired a plumber who came to her District Heights home and began cutting. The plumber created holes in the walls and floors, and installed pipes throughout the kitchen. Then he stopped and never came back, she says. What he left Trinidad was an absolute mess.

Then, Trinidad hired plumber Meaker Riley to put things back together.

“You got a lot of contractors, handymen that don’t know what they doing. But they figure they can get in, make a dollar and they gone,” Meaker says.

To read the full article, click here.

The above article talks about specific examples of plumbing nightmares that people have experienced. Unfortunately these types of situations do happen, so when you believe that you have found a good plumber, be sure to hold on to their contact information.

There are also other situations that can happen that can cause a plumbing nightmare. The under-qualified DIY plumber. There are some things that are easy and can be done by the amateur plumber. However, a DIY plumber needs to know where the boundaries are and when to just leave it to the pros. In the following article titled, “When to Hire a Plumber“, by For Dummies, they talk about some scenarios where it is best to just pick up the phone and call a plumber. The one that we found the most useful discusses low water pressure:

Knowing when to hire a plumber can save money in the long run. Hire a plumber when the problem is extensive and requires expertise to pin down, and when there’s a higher risk of doing more damage than good.

When the following situations arise, it’s best to call a licensed professional plumber. So get to know a good plumber in your area, and keep his or her name and number handy for emergencies.

Low water pressure throughout the house: This problem can be caused by a number of factors, such as obstructions (rust or debris) in the water lines; low water pressure from the city supply or a well; or even poor supply-line design. A good plumber will be able to analyze the problem and determine the cause.

No hot water: Unless the hot water tank is leaking, it might be hard to determine the cause. Electric heaters problems include: heating elements, circuit breakers or blown fuses, faulty thermostats, or a bad overload switch. Gas heater problems include: thermocouple burners and igniters.

These situations describe when you might consider hiring a plumber instead of doing it yourself in order to avoid more costly fixes down the road. If a plumbing job that needs to done in your home seems tricky or challenging, then just call a plumber.

The trick is knowing how to distinguish the good from the bad. If you don’t know of a reputable plumber in your area or you have had a bad experience with the last one you contacted, then you will need to find a new one. In the following article by Angie’s List, they discuss some great tips that you can follow when you need to hire a plumber. Here, we have listed one of the most important questions that you can ask when hiring a plumber:

Are you licensed?

This is the big one. Never, ever forget to ask this question, and don’t just take the plumber’s word for it. Many operate without a license, but many homeowners assume every plumber needs to have one, so this question is always worth asking. Being licensed means the plumber is registered with a governing body at the state or local level.

This section was originally found on the “Angie’s List” website which can be viewed here.

Asking the right questions when you are contracting a plumber can save you from experiencing a plumbing nightmare in your home. Finding a plumber before you need one might save you the time and hassle of having to find one during stressful moments such as, during a plumbing emergency. Typically if you are looking for a plumber while dealing with a plumbing emergency at the same time, you are bound to hire the first one that happens to be available on that day. By following the tips provided in this article, you can save time and money by avoiding a plumbing nightmare.

 

For a professional plumber in your area, Robinson Plumbing can assist you with any plumbing questions that you might have as well as address any of your plumbing needs. Robinson Plumbing is a local, family owned company that is known for trusted, quality service. Call us today at (610) 351-9889 or contact us for any questions that you might have!