Some plumbing jobs are possible to tackle ourselves. This is because there are online videos to help us with most things when it comes to practical demonstrations, such as when a tap washer needs changing. This should be possible whatever our skills levels. However, there are bigger jobs where it is a good idea to get a qualified and experienced plumber, such as Paladin Plumbing, to take care of it for you.
So, let us consider what we mean by a big job.
Leaks
When there is a leak, it is usually the sign of a bigger problem. You do not just want to stop the leak at that moment, but you want to prevent it from happening again.
With older houses, where householders want to keep them as original as possible, there will be copper as opposed to plastic pipes to deal with. The joints on these need to be as tight as those on the more modern plastic pipes. However, the connections require soldering. This is a skill in itself to get the joints watertight by heating the solder sufficiently and spreading it in the right places. With period houses, in particular, you want the solder joins to look nice when the pipes are a feature inside the house. A bad job will mean that you end up with snots, as they are called. This is a run in the solder.
We can avoid these by having someone experienced working on our joints. There will also be leaks that require a good deal of pipework to need to be replaced and joined. It can be dangerous for a novice to use equipment that produces a flame in a combined space. So, leave this kind of work to the professionals.
Replacing Hot Water Tanks
Hot water tanks are big, heavy, and awkward, so their installation is always best left to a plumber. It can be necessary with some installations to pipe in a gas line and to have ductwork carried out on the chimney. Emergency plumbers will often get called out to these kinds of jobs as the tank holds a lot of water that is constantly running into it. To avoid much water damage, you want someone who knows what they are doing to take care of this part of a home’s plumbing system.
Replacing Sinks or Toilets
Porcelain sinks are another thing that is difficult to handle. They are as heavy and awkward as a hot water tank. You also want the new one installed without damage, as porcelain can so easily end up chipped or cracked and make the sink that you have paid good money for worthless. It is thought to be a rare occurrence that an unskilled householder manages to replace a sink without damage or getting drips everywhere.
As you can probably imagine, replacing a toilet is a messy job. It involves wax rings and sewer gas. It is not a job to tackle lightly and without any plumbing experience. The new one must be perfectly and accurately placed and line up properly on top of the new ring. The bolts must be evenly and securely fastened and the toilet properly caulked to the floor. Caulk is a fibrous material that is used to seal joints where leakages need to be prevented. This method was used for the old cast iron sewerage pipes and is still used in plumbing situations today. To not get any of these steps right will ruin the new wax ring and only result in another trip to the hardware store and further expense. So, it is best to have a professional plumber do the job in the first place.
Hopefully, the above will have guided you into knowing what the less simple plumbing jobs are.
So, some tricky plumbing jobs here, and so ones that should always be allocated to an experienced plumber. It will be safer, cost-effective, and convenient to use the services of a plumber. There are, of course, many more plumbing jobs around the home than those mentioned, and all but the simple ones such as washer replacement, or a simple drain unblocking, should have you thinking about finding a plumber.
