How to avoid major plumbing disasters
Serious plumbing problems in your home can be both expensive and stressful to deal with. Here are two things for you to do to reduce your chances of encountering such problems.
Deal with small plumbing issues promptly
Minor issues with your plumbing system which don't interfere with your daily activities (such as showering, washing dishes or flushing the toilet) are all too easy to ignore. However, by failing to address these seemingly harmless problems promptly, you're far more likely to end up dealing with a major plumbing problem that will cost a small fortune to resolve.
Let's say, for instance, that your kitchen sink starts to drain at a slower rate than it normally does. This might mean that a blockage has formed somewhere inside the drainage pipes. If the water is still draining (albeit more slowly than it once did), the obstruction is probably quite small and as such, will probably be easy to resolve, using either a dissolvent product or a plunger.
However, if you don't fix the issue at this early stage, you may find yourself facing a much more serious problem; if ignored for more than a few days, the blockage will most likely continue to grow. In addition to causing a clogged, odorous sink that won't drain at all, this could also lead to a burst pipe (if the obstruction begins to place pressure on the piping). The damage caused by such an event will cost a significant amount of money to repair and could leave you without the use of your kitchen sink for several days, or even weeks, depending on the extent of the repair work required.
Don't attempt to tackle major plumbing jobs yourself
Whilst, as mentioned above, it's entirely possible to address small plumbing issues (such as a slow-running drain) yourself, it's rarely a good idea to try to carry out major work on your home's plumbing system without the help of a qualified plumber. Although you may feel that a DIY approach will save you a few dollars, the truth is that it could actually end up costing you a lot of money in the long run.
For example, attempting a hot water installation job on your own could be disastrous. If you have never carried out this type of work before, you could end up making a mistake which could result in a water leakage that might, in turn, cause extensive damage to your property. Furthermore, this approach could result in the warranty for your new hot water system being voided, as many manufacturers stipulate that their hot water systems are only protected under warranty if they are installed by an accredited plumber.
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