{"id":257,"date":"2022-10-27T13:34:19","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T13:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rapidheat247.co.uk\/blog\/?p=257"},"modified":"2022-10-27T13:45:23","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T13:45:23","slug":"diy-plumbing-vs-hiring-a-professional-what-should-you-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rapidheat247.co.uk\/blog\/diy-plumbing-vs-hiring-a-professional-what-should-you-do\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY PLUMBING VS HIRING A PROFESSIONAL: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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DIY Plumbing\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Your having plumbing issues but aren\u2019t sure how to tackle it? The age-old question for homeowners: DIY plumbing vs hiring a professional. You have a few options on how to deal with things.<\/p>

You can either assess the situation and tackle the problem on your own, or you can hire a professional to get the job done.<\/p>

How do you know when a plumbing job is outside of your skillset? or beyond your toolbox? Find out when DIY plumbing may suffice and when you should call in a professional.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Situations Where You Can Do It Yourself\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Using a scale between 1 \u2013 10<\/strong> we breakdown the difficulty of common plumbing problems.<\/p>\n

There are many instances where doing the job yourself will save you money in labour but cost you your time. Here are some cases.<\/p>\n

Most DIY plumbing jobs require your water to be turned off to your property. This is normally achieved by turning the mains stopcock off that services your property. Sometimes you may be lucky to have a service valve to isolate the pipework where the problem is.<\/p>\n

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1. Clogged Toilet Difficulty 5 \/ 10<\/b><\/h4>\n

Clogs can be easy to deal with. Most of the time, all it takes is a plunger and some elbow grease to get rid of the problem.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have a plunger, you can pour half a cup of dish soap down around the sides of the bowl accompanied by hot water. The dish soap will sink to the bottom and coat the pipe.<\/p>\n

Leave dish soap for fifteen to twenty minutes\u2014this will provide you with some lubrication, so hopefully, on your next flush, it will go down smoothly.<\/p>\n

Sometimes blockages can form deeper into the drainage system. In these situations, most of the time a plunger or soap will not help and only a professional plumber will do.<\/p>\n

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2. Dripping or Leaking Taps Difficulty 6 \/ 10<\/b><\/h4>\n

This is a job that most DIYers can do themselves. When a tap is dripping or leaking, this means the internal components to your tap body have gone bad.<\/p>\n

You can do this in one of two ways. Replace internal components or install a new tap. If you are in an area where the water is hard like London, it is likely best to replace the tap as hard water makes it extremely difficult to undo and replace components.<\/p>\n

Whichever way you choose always make sure the water supply has been safely turned off.  If you are choosing to replace the internal components, start by shutting the hot and cold water valves off.<\/p>\n

Turn on one valve at a time to see which one is leaking. Sometimes it is hard to determine hot or cold is leaking in particular on mono mixer taps. In these instances turn off the cold first and see if the dripping ceases. If it does not then the problem is on the hot side. Once you determine which one it is, disassemble the handle and replace either the washer or the cartridge dependant on the type of tap. Doing this should fix the problem.<\/p>\n

Turn your water back on and check the operation of the tap and for any leaks.<\/p>\n

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3. Slow Draining Shower or Sink Difficulty 6.5 \/ 10<\/b><\/h4>\n

When a sink or shower drains slowly, this means there is a blockage somewhere in the drain pipe. Start by removing the screen to the sink or shower. You can use a wire hanger to snake out the blockage\u2014make sure you have a garbage bag handy\u2014or you use a plunger, and let the blockage pass through.<\/p>\n

If those don\u2019t seem to clear it, pour a mixture of baking soda and vinegar down the drain. This mixture will help dissolve the clot making it easier for the clog to clear.<\/p>\n

Only for the most experienced DIY-ers 8 \/ 10 and above<\/h4>\n

Aside from the situations that we covered above, the tasks below can be done yourself, but as a fair warning, proceed with caution because these situations will require plenty of research and the availability of an assortment of tools to your disposal.<\/p>\n

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4. Fixing a Garbage Disposal Difficulty 8.5 \/ 10<\/b><\/h4>\n

Garbage disposals can be a source of leaks and can be a cause of significant flooding. Number one rule when working on any electrical item is to ensure the power supply has been safely isolated.<\/p>\n

It is always nice to start and finish a job with the same amount of fingers!<\/p>\n

You can now check the hose attachments to see if that\u2019s where the source of the leak is coming from. Tighten all clamps and hose connectors to make sure they weren\u2019t just loose.<\/p>\n

If the garbage disposal continues to leak or doesn\u2019t work at all, you will need to replace the unit. Replacing garbage disposal isn\u2019t too tricky, as long as you know what you are doing but is often a long time-consuming process added by the fact that most often pipework will also need to be adjusted.<\/p>\n

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5. Replacing a Toilet & Cistern Difficulty 9 \/ 10<\/b><\/h4>\n

Most people don\u2019t want to replace a toilet, but if you\u2019re up for the task, it\u2019s not that difficult but can be time-consuming. You\u2019ll want to isolate the water off to the toilet. Flush the water from the toilet cistern and soak up the remaining water in the toilet cistern with a towel.<\/p>\n

Unscrew the two bolts from underneath the toilet cistern and lift the cistern off of the toilet pan. Unscrew the pan from the floor and lift the pan out of the way. Remember that there will always be foul water left in the toilet pan, so move it slowly.  Remove the waste spigot from the soil pipework and dispose of them.<\/p>\n

Stuff the sewer hole with a rag to prevent gasses anything from falling in the hole. Replace waste spigot and install your new toilet.<\/p>\n

As stated, it is not very hard but is always smelly, messy and time-consuming.<\/p>\n

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6. Dealing with Frozen Pipes Difficulty 8 \/ 10<\/b><\/h4>\n

Frozen pipes can be a nightmare, but the one thing you want to do is remain calm and do a little bit of DIY plumbing problems troubleshooting before you make a service call.<\/p>\n

Locate the frozen pipe. Start turning on faucets, and if one doesn\u2019t work, trace the pipe to the source. If you follow the pipe, you\u2019ll most likely find a section that has frost on it. Do the following once you find the location of the frozen pipe.<\/p>\n