Calling a plumber can be expensive, especially when your budget is tight. So, is it a good idea to turn to DIY when you want to save yourself some money? Not really. Read ahead to find out why you should put down that wrench and rethink your plans for plumbing repairs.
Will It Actually Save You Money?
DIY is an attractive solution because it sounds like it will save you money. You’ll only pay for tools and materials — not a steep plumber’s fee. But will it really save you that much?
Most plumbing jobs are complicated and messy. If you make a small mistake, there could be major consequences. You could make the problem worse. You could spill water or sewer back-up all over your home. You could cause irreparable water damage. After all that effort, you’ll need to pay much more than a plumber’s fee to get your house back in good shape.
If you’re turning to DIY repairs because you don’t have the funds to hire a plumber right away — stop. You can find an alternative way to cover these emergency costs. Some plumbing companies offer payment plans to lower the initial fee. This will make things easier for you to pay upfront, especially if the repairs are large. Another alternative that you can try is to go to the website CreditFresh to see if you can apply for a personal line of credit.
What’s a personal line of credit? It’s an open-end credit tool. When applying for the account, you might be approved for a credit limit. As long as your account is in good standing and you have available credit, you can request a withdrawal from this account and you may have the funds transferred into your bank account within a business day. This will come in handy for problems that you can’t ignore, like plumbing repairs.
Can You Do Any Plumbing DIY?
Does this mean that all plumbing projects are off-limits? Not exactly. There are some things that are safe for amateurs to do without having to worry about damaging their drains or flooding their basements. Here are some brief examples of what fixes you can do without the help of a plumber:
Unclogging a Toilet
If your toilet won’t flush, you don’t have to call a plumber right away. You can use a toilet plunger to clear the clog. If that doesn’t work, you can try these alternative ways to unclog a toilet without the use of a plunger.
Unclogging a Sink
You can also deal with a sink clog on your own. Instead of using a caustic store-bought drain cleaner, use a sink drain plunger to try to clear the clog and send water back down the drain. If the sink is still draining slowly, pour hot water and dish soap down it. That should remove any debris that’s still clinging to the drain.
Draining Your Pipes
Draining your pipes isn’t a common plumbing project. Homeowners don’t really have to do it unless they’re leaving their home unsupervised during the winter. By draining all of the water pipes, you can avoid frozen and burst pipes when the temperatures drop. You don’t want to come back from a short vacation and see that your basement is underwater.
Here’s what to do:
- Shut off your home’s main water valve.
- Open up the sink, tub and shower faucets on the top floor. Then repeat this step on every floor.
- Flush the toilets until the tanks are empty.
- Leave the faucets open.
It’s that easy.
If you have to look up a tutorial to fix a drain or replace a bathroom fixture, then you shouldn’t try to do your own plumbing repairs. Call the professionals. They’ll know exactly what to do.
