Big box stores offer a wide range of products for DIY plumbing projects. The home handyman can find plumbing products marketed directly to the DIY customer, often making a plumbing repair look easier than it really is.
Plumbers are highly skilled professionals, and not everything we do is as easy as it may look. At Salmon Plumbing & Heating, we often get called to fix do-it-yourself (DIY) plumbing projects that have gone wrong.
Supply-Side and Drainage Plumbing
Plumbing can be divided into two broad categories: supply and drainage.
Supply-side plumbing deals with pipes that are under pressure, delivering water to your faucets, toilets, appliances and other fixtures. Drainage plumbing deals with getting wastewater safely out of your home.
Supply-side plumbing is particularly critical to get right. London, Ontario has excellent water pressure, and a small leak in a supply-side pipe can cause a lot of expensive damage very quickly.
Drainage problems can be costly as well. Common DIY problems include improper venting and incorrect pipe grade. These problems can lead to slow-running or blocked drains.
The plumbing in your home is often hidden behind drywall, inside cabinets or beneath other finished surfaces. Quite often, a significant part of the repair cost is not fixing the plumbing itself, but restoring the finished surface after a leak has caused damage.
DIY Plumbing Products
The DIY plumbing products being offered today are designed for homeowners who probably don’t own the torches, cutting tools and other equipment that a professional plumber carries.
Manufacturers have responded by creating products such as compression fittings and push-on fittings that can make some plumbing repairs easier.
But these products still need to be installed correctly.
If you don’t strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions, connections can pop apart days or weeks down the road. You can end up with a slow leak, some spray or a full-blown gusher.
And because plumbing is often hidden inside walls or cabinets, you may not discover the leak until it has already caused significant damage.
It’s critical to get it right the first time.
Working With Copper and PEX Pipe
Homeowners working with products such as copper or PEX pipe really need to know what they are doing.
Soldering copper pipe is a skill that professional plumbers are trained to do properly. An improperly soldered joint may look like it is working perfectly, but it can begin leaking days or weeks later.
PEX and other plastic plumbing products can also look deceptively simple to install. However, plastic pipes are not all the same. There are different types of pipe, fittings and connection systems, and the products and installation methods can vary between manufacturers.
A connection that looks right is not necessarily a connection that has been installed correctly.
Why a Small Plumbing Leak Can Become a Big Problem
Plumbing mistakes can be very costly because water can cause damage surprisingly quickly.
A leaking water pipe can damage walls, floors, cabinets and furniture. When that plumbing is hidden behind a finished surface, the damage may continue for some time before anyone notices it.
This is one reason DIY plumbing repairs can become much more expensive than expected. The cost may include not only repairing the plumbing, but also repairing drywall, flooring, cabinetry or other finished surfaces.
For homeowners in London, Ontario, a small plumbing leak is not something to ignore simply because it doesn’t look serious at first.
One Simple Thing Every Homeowner Should Have
At Salmon Plumbing & Heating, we use copper pipe almost exclusively for supply-side plumbing.
When we install a toilet or faucet, we also install shut-off valves. If there is ever a problem with the toilet or faucet, you can simply use the shut-off valve to isolate the problem.
Otherwise, you may have to shut off the water for the entire house.
Knowing where your home’s main water shut-off is located is also important. In the event of a plumbing emergency, being able to shut off the water quickly can help limit the damage.
Plumbing Isn't Always as Easy as It Looks
There is nothing wrong with tackling a straightforward DIY project when you understand what you’re doing. But plumbing is an area where mistakes can become very costly.
A connection that doesn’t quite fit, an improperly soldered joint or a poorly installed drain can eventually result in a leak or blockage. When that plumbing is hidden behind drywall or inside a cabinet, the resulting damage can be much more expensive than the original repair.
For the majority of homeowners, plumbing is a job best left to a professional.
If you’re working on a plumbing project in London, Ontario and you’re not sure you’ve got it right, it’s better to ask for help before a small problem becomes a major repair.
