When to Take Plumbing into Your Own Hands

Everyone likes to do what they can to save a buck here and there. Some people pinch more pennies than others, but for the most part people like to be smart with there money. With that being said, many common household plumbing issues can be solved through do it yourself solutions in order to save money. Think of it this way: would you hire a plumber to plunge your clogged toilet? You shouldn't be paying money for such a simple and trivial task. There are other common plumbing issues that aren't rocket science, and you can fix them yourself in order to save money as opposed to hiring a professional.

Risk / Reward

Do it yourself plumbing is kind of a risk/reward system. You run the risk doing it wrong, but it can also save you money if done right. There are two basic residential plumbing issues that I would recommend fixing yourself: faucet leaks and clogged drains. Many residential plumbers will offer to do both these tasks for you at decent rates, but only because they are simple. You can do them just as easily, free of charge. I might feature blog posts on how to fix each specific issue, but here's the rundown: faucet leaks often occur when your stem goes bad and drain clogs often result from large clumps of hair and other waste clogging up the drain. With a bit of Googling and a trip to your local plumbing supply shop, you can fix your leaky faucet and clogged drain for free.

When to Call a Professional

As I mentioned earlier, DIY plumbing is a risk/reward system. I highly recommend doing the two tasks mentioned above yourself, but I would consider hiring a plumber for anything more complicated than that. The last thing you want is to make the situation worse than it already was and have to pay extra to have it fixed. Saving money is a great thing, but there is a line to be drawn between DIY and calling a professional when it comes to residential plumbing issues.