When it comes to maintaining your home, plumbing might seem like an issue you can easily approach. However, plumbing is complex, and handling it yourself can lead to costly errors. DIY plumbing can result in water damage from wrong pipe connections and even cause sewer line disasters.
While tackling plumbing works without professional assistance might seem like a way to save money, it can lead to immediate mishaps requiring expensive emergency repairs. Understanding the plumbing blunders you’re likely to commit and how to avoid them can help you avoid these risks. Discussed below are four common plumbing mistakes homeowners make.
1. Overtightening plumbing connections
Although pipe connections should be tight enough to prevent water from leaking from the connection sites, they shouldn’t be overtightened. Overtightening pipe fittings can immediately break the pipe connectors’ plastic or rubber seal, strip pipe threads, or break fittings. If plastic or rubber seals break due to overly tight plumbing fixtures, the pipe connections you create will likely leak gradually over time. Overly tight fittings can also:
- Crack spontaneously in the future because the excess pressure constantly placed on them
- Overly tight connections may be hard to remove later when doing plumbing repairs that the only option is cutting the connector free, usually along with the attached pipe
With the help of a skilled plumbing expert like Ritz Plumbing, you can ensure connections are sufficiently tight to avoid leaks.
2. Carelessly mixing and matching pipe materials
Plumbing pipes come in various materials, including brass, copper, galvanized steel, PVC, and more. Most homeowners make the blunder of replacing pipes that have developed issues like leaks with pipes of similar sizes and shapes composed of entirely different materials. Mixing and matching plumbing pipes carelessly can be challenging and even have severe consequences, such as the following:
- Pipes from different materials are usually hard to connect without special fittings that might not be available at your local home improvement store. Some of the fittings need specialized tools and knowledge to connect correctly
- Additionally, some metal pipes must never be connected to pipes from alternative materials because they might interact. For instance, connecting a copper pipe directly to a steel galvanized pipe can lead to a chemical reaction at the connection site, causing the joint to corrode
Hiring a qualified plumber can help ensure safe connections when mixing and matching pipe materials.
3. Undertaking plumbing tasks without proper permits
Plumbing repairs and upgrades, particularly those done when remodeling your home, shouldn’t be undertaken without first acquiring a permit from the relevant authorities. Permits ensure plumbing projects are done safely and correctly.
Performing plumbing upgrades without the necessary permits can reduce your home’s value and make it hard to sell in the future. Additionally, if the local authorities discover that you’ve undertaken plumbing projects without authorization, they can stop your work and even fine you.
4. Using the wrong tools
Many homeowners lack the tools to handle plumbing repairs and upgrades. Without these tools, you can damage the pipes and bolts. Consider investing in the right plumbing tools to make your repair and installation tasks simple and efficient. Alternatively, leave your home improvement projects to skilled professionals because they have the necessary tools and equipment to complete the work efficiently.
Endnote
Considering how complex plumbing systems are, DIY plumbing repairs and upgrades can lead to costly mishaps. Familiarize yourself with the common plumbing mistakes homeowners make and how to avoid them, including over-tightening plumbing connections, handling plumbing projects without the necessary permits, and more.
