Plumbing and Water Safety – When to Call a Professional

While many home maintenance issues can and should be left to the professionals, being able to follow a set of instructions for those small DIY jobs might just be a life saver in one’s time of need. Unfortunately, tackling these projects yourself can also wreak havoc on your home. To take out some of that stressful guesswork, we’ve compiled a list of common DIY plumbing mistakes made by average homeowners.

 

Excessive Use of Drain Cleaner

 

While harsh chemicals can occasionally be beneficial to remove that dirty food smell from the sink, using these as one’s first resort can do more harm to the home – and body – than good. The main rise for concern regarding drain chemicals is inhalation or accidental ingestion. While it might seem like common sense for most people to avoid ingesting cleaning chemicals, oftentimes people do not consider that their hands may contribute to chemical poisoning, and neglecting to wash your hands before touching food, your skin, or common surfaces can get you quite sick.

 

Drain cleaner, if used too often, can also inflict damage on your pipes and cause them to erode. If the stubborn scraps of food become difficult to remove, it may be time to refer to a professional.

 

Drilling Holes

 

Towel rods, hooks, and even artwork can make a room feel like your own, but drilling holes in the wrong place can be a huge mistake for your bathroom. Water spraying from the walls can cause flooding, severe water damage, and even electric shock if the water reaches a socket. If you’ve impacted a pipe with a drill or heavy tool, immediately turn off the water line, shut down the fuse box, and call a professional. Attempting to fix this yourself can put you in danger.

 

Overtightening

 

Any DIY enthusiast wants to make sure a job is done right, so it’s understandable why they might be tempted to use every ounce of their strength to tighten anything that has threading. While this might be a necessary step for certain assignments, this can be detrimental to any plumbing project. Many of these supplies’ threading is plastic, so not only is it very similar to stripping a screw, but overtightening can cause these parts to crack and break over time. Just like drilling holes in the wrong place, seemingly simple DIY projects can turn into a nightmare, and hindsight will have you wishing you’d called a professional.

 

 

These tips may help take out some of the decision-making in your next potential remodel, but these are only a short few of the most common, dangerous, household plumbing mistakes. Instead of trying to tackle these issues on your own, put your safety first. Call Shakley Mechanical at (419) 281-6909 today to schedule a technician to assess any potential damage!