So you’ve noticed a blocked drain, or water puddling in the backyard, and you’ve decided to have a crack fixing it yourself. We get it; you want to save money, it’s totally understandable.

However, your decision to spurn the plumber could end up costing you MORE dollars, plus lots of time AND it could even mean you face costly damage to your home which your insurance policy will not cover.

Let’s take a look at why.

 

DIY plumbing can cost more than calling in a professional

Once a plumber has diagnosed a problem, they should be able to provide an approximate cost to complete repairs.

When you go DIY, however, you have no way of knowing what the final costs will be. Your inexperience could mean you end up wasting time and money on ineffective options and/or have to fork out for expensive tools and equipment.

Unless you have high grade plumbing tools sitting in the shed like electric eels, electric power drains and water jetters, you probably want to call the plumber.

These specialty plumber tools are vital for diagnosing faults deep within drains, removing tree roots from pipes and blasting through sludge and grease (a common cause of blockages for restaurants in particular). There’s no substitute for high grade specialty equipment like this, which is why DIY can end up being super expensive.

 

If you get it wrong, DIY could cost you big time!

Are you confident you know what the problem is? Are you confident you have the skills, knowledge and equipment to fix it?

We’ve been called in numerous times to fix plumbing DIY gone wrong – sewage backing up through drains and spilling onto the bathroom floor, water damaged kitchens, flooding internal walls…

Call a plumber in from the start and we can make sure your plumbing problem does not get to this stage. If a plumber makes a mistake and serious damage does occur, they’ll be the one writing the cheque to restore your water soaked kitchen to brand new. This is because all licensed plumbers are insured – so unlike your DIY attempt gone wrong – which could end up costing you a bomb, any damaged caused by your plumber will be repaired free of charge.

 

DIY takes time

Unless it’s a nice simple fix, DIY plumbing can end up costing you a lot of time. Without the right speciality equipment, diagnosing faults can be challenging and might require a) a lot of time on You Tube, b) a lot of digging in the backyard or c) a lot of time spent cutting inspection holes in walls. Once you’ve diagnosed the fault, you’ve then got to invest time in determining the best repair option and then actually carrying out the repairs. Again, without specialist knowledge and equipment this can take a lot of time. If you value your time, leave it to the professionals.

 

Doing your own plumbing could mean problems, not covered by insurance, go unnoticed

Insurance companies divide water damage into three categories – ‘sudden,’ ‘accidental’ and gradual.  Insurers vary in the extent to which they cover accidental and sudden damage, but almost always they do not cover gradual damage like mould, rot or corrosion. Insurers take the view these problems should have been picked up early and therefore decline responsibility. When your plumber attends, you can ask them to check for any signs of water leakage or damage throughout your house. Your plumber knows what to look for and where to look for it. Their insight could save you big dollars down the track.

If you have any plumbing problems contact us today.