Whether it’s a drip in the bathroom sink, or a slow leak from the water heater, homeowners are infamous at putting things off until they become an emergency. It comes with the territory “we’re busy seven days of the week, and rarely have time to spend on extra chores.” Yet some things are ultimately more important than others. Here’s a list of 7 plumbing mistakes many homeowners make.
- The “It Will” Do Approach You start out on a project, whether it’s installing a new toilet, or fixing a dripping faucet. You don’t have the right tools or the right parts, so you use what you have. Who has time to run back up to the hardware store? Yet this can cause more leaking, and possible broken equipment quickly as things begin to deteriorate. Avoid the inclination and make sure you fix it correctly the first time.
- Install Fixtures Without Using A Level In order to get the job done quickly, you throw in the new toilet without thinking twice about how level it is. Yet by being slightly off balance, you are more apt to water problems down the road. Leveling is important before you finish the installation.
- Use Mismatched Plumbing Materials Can you attach galvanized piping to copper piping? What if you use plastic piping? Anything is possible, but it ultimately comes down to how fast corrosion sets in, and you have to bring your tools out for another repair job.
- Shut Off The Water What happens if you start disassembling the bathroom faucet without turning off the water? If you’ve ever tried it, you know what happens. Always remember to shut off the water before you tackle any job that requires working with water.
- Allow Extra Time Two hours before relatives come over for Thanksgiving dinner is probably not the most appropriate time to make a repair, no matter how minor it may seem. Murphy’s law will definitely kick in at a time like this, allowing you to spend time with the repair while everyone else feasts on turkey.
- Forget The Caulk Now that the sink or shower is in, who needs caulk? Unfortunately, if you forget to seal things in properly, you’ll find yourself with a whole lot of water damage down the road. Add in mold problems, and you’re looking at a very expensive home improvement project.
- Taking Advice From The Wrong Person Your brother may want to help you with a project, but is really the best person for the job? After all, he doesn’t live there, and won’t be up at 3 am when the pipes break and you have a real mess. If they don’t have plumbing experience, choose to get your advice from someone who does. Nothing beats the opinion of a professional plumber.
