The cost of hiring someone to do home repairs can really add up and whether it be for appliances or household necessities, most can be handled by yourself. One of the most common fixes that homeowners see involves plumbing. You cannot have a functioning home if your toilet is broken! Here is a list of tips to save money on plumbing repair.

Always Perform Routine Maintenance

The most important aspect of repair is to know how to avoid them in the first place. Most of your home fixes happen because you did not do the routine maintenance that is necessary. It is so easy to clean the pipes, tighten the hoses and take care of the little things. It is best to avoid the toilet bowl tablets, since they can cause damage to the parts. The best cleaner is a brush and liquid bleach. The same goes with a garbage disposal, which can clog and therefore she have routine cleaning and maintenance.

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If you find that a part needs to be replaced in the toilet, it is best to take all the broken parts to a hardware store. Sometimes parts look identical and you do not want to have to go back and forth. The parts are also not all alike and can be from different manufacturers, so you’ll want their advice on what you need. The people that work at the hardware store can also give advice for the future to keep your fixtures healthy.

Purchased Your Own Plumbing Tools and Equipment

This tip is important for anything you need to fix in your home. If you have never learned what each tool is, you may be in trouble. If you know you want to cut the cost of home maintenance then you should learn what purpose of each tool and have good quality ones available. The tools most used for plumbing repair are a wrench, pliers, pipe cutters, and sometimes more.

Schedule a Plumber in Advance

If you do need to schedule a plumber to come out to your home, you can do many things to avoid a high cost. The first tip is to make sure they are licensed. Also the plumber can charge you less if you recommend he use your tools. That one is not a guarantee, but it’s worth a shot. There could be extra cost avoided if you do some pre-appointment cleaning, like removing all toiletries from the sink and removing cleaning supplies from under your sink.

Many people think that they can do it themselves when it comes to carrying out a plumbing job. And it’s certainly true that many tasks can be carried out on a DIY basis. But this isn’t always the case. Many people don’t realise when they need to drop the tools and call in a professional. So, here’s when to do it yourself and when to let someone with professional knowledge take over.

DIY

Small small jobs can be carried out very easily. For example, if you simply want to update the faucets in the bathroom or kitchen, you can do this yourself. That doesn’t mean that the job isn’t challenging, but there is not too much that can go wrong. You can see what you’re working on very clearly and easily, which isn’t the case with all plumbing jobs. And there are online guides that can help you out too.

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As well as those kinds of replacements, cosmetic repairs to bathroom and kitchen hardware can be done by yourself too. Some of these repairs are routine and very simple. For example, a toilet might have problems that cause it to move or not function properly. These issues can usually be fixed very easily with some basic tools and sealant. So, don’t be afraid to carry out that kind of DIY work. Calling a professional would be a waste of time.

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Preparation is key to any successful DIY plumbing job though. You have to know the basics, such as turning off the water supply before you undertake the task. As long as you think logically, do the basic things and plan it out in advance, the DIY plumbing job should be a real success.

Professional

First of all, you should always call a professional if you have an emergency situation. Doing a DIY task is only ever possible if you have the time to assess it and plan it out. That’s not the case when an emergency repair is needed, so call a professional. Many plumber repair services offer fast responses, so these should definitely be taken advantage of.

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As I mentioned above, the easiest jobs to carry out by yourself are the ones that are obvious. If you can see the problem in front of you, then it’s easier to fix it. But that’s not the case for many plumbing jobs. If a pipe has a problem and it’s hidden behind a wall, sorting out the problem can be a challenge. And when there are external plumbing problems with the drains that run under the ground, that kind of problem demands a pro.

[Photo courtesy of Joe Fred the Oyster/Drain Trap- wikimedia.org]

When you’re taking on a large remodelling of your bathroom, big changes often need to be made to the plumbing. Sometimes, these changes even require permits to be given. This is complicated work in terms of the physical task of carrying out the job and the paperwork. So, it’s the kind of task that is always best left to a professional with the right experience behind them.

The state of your plumbing should be taken seriously and when picking a plumber to have your whole system in their hands, it’s naturally very important to pick the right person for the job.

It’s easy these days to just fire up the laptop and click on the first plumber you find nearest to you but that’s not always the best option.

A good place to start is a reputable plumbing company or a name that is synonymous with good plumbing practice. These are often household names and by just typing plumbers or plumbing services into Google you will inevitably find some that you recognize.

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Always use a website that offers customer reviews of a plumber’s work and pick the best one depending on what their previous customers have to say about them. The cheapest option is not always the best and if any plumber has a bad review or appears to have ripped someone off then always steer well clear – whatever the price.

Ask friends and family for recommendations as often that’s where you’ll find the best tradesmen. After all, if they did a good job at a reasonable price for someone you trust then you’re halfway there to finding the perfect plumber.

Finally, always ask for a quote after describing the problem to any plumber. They may not be able to give you an exact price but they should be able to give you a good idea so ensure they stick to it after the work is done. Once you’ve compared quotes, sought advice and read reviews you are in the best position to choose the right plumber for you.

Before you know it, your plumbing will be back to normal and you’ll be able to get on with your life safe in the knowledge that your home is in good hands.

Plumbing is a complex system of water or gas connection from the main source to its point of distribution. When any of the plumbing supplies get busted, it could affect the reading of your next water bill. A drop of water can cost you a few dollars if you do not have someone to fix it.

Do-it yourself plumbing repair is needed this time so when your toilet bowl clogs or the faucet has loosened its thread, you know how to troubleshoot. To enable you to start the repair, you have to equip yourself with plumbing tools that you can buy online.

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Start investing with the commonly used tools such as adjustable or a crescent pipe wrench which is used to grip the pipe during repair. Faucet valve seat wrench and resetting tool are used when fixing the faucet.

When you live away from the hardware store and traveling would be burdensome to you, buy extra faucet washers, faucet stem packing, faucets, drains, shower heads and water filters for quick repair and replacement.