My husband and I only do unclogged drains that require a plunger. For leaks I have seen and heard that it's much cost effective to do plumbing that doesn't need any major work done, such as replacing a drain pipe or the strainer on the Faucet that controls the water flow or something like that. You just unscrew it and screw another on. As far as water leaks, I've learned that the washer inside may need replacing but it's location is not easily accessible. Our bathtub had an annoying drip. A plumber was called in for the repair and what he shared with me was good information for future use. The part had to be ordered from the manufacturer which has a lifetime replacement warranty. Although the one that needed replacing was probably as old as The House the new one will probably last my lifetime maybe more. Sometimes you learn how to save from the professionals.
For major issues like leaks, I'll call a professional. Now a few years back, our kitchen sprayer/hose wasn't working, so I decided to tinker and unscrew a few things under the sink, and low and behold the hose started working again.
The sprayer and faucet dispense water at the same time. It still works but just not properly. I was told by an experienced plumber that I would need to replace the unit. Not what I wanted to hear. No, I don't think so.
Hmmm, I wonder what could be the problem? Have you tried looking up any Youtube videos on the issue? There might be something up there that could help you solve this problem and save you some money. If you do find something on Youtube and it seems to complex, then just let the professional handle it. Good luck and I'm hoping you don't need to replace the unit, but if you do, it seems like you might be in good hands with your plumber.
My husband is not a handyman but for changing leaking faucet, he can easily do that. But for normal plumbing like installing a new faucet or new piping, we would call a plumber because my husband is afraid that something might go wrong with his tinkering. However, it is so difficult to find a good plumber here that's why when there was a leak in the pipe outside the house, my husband tried his hand on the pvc pipe - he cut the portion that was leaking and replaced it with the spare pvc pipe, using a saw for cutting the pipe and glue. Done. Very good.
Wow, good on you and your husband for tackling some of those repairs. Being able to address some of the not so serious faults really comes in handy. My husband is by no means a handyman, but he'll give it a good go before calling in a professional. I do have to say he's very good with his hands, easily tackling minor repairs around the house. I suppose it's not surprising because he's such a dab hand at DIY.
We have done minor plumbing repairs here. from using a snake in a toilet to find an advanced clog to replacing a faucet in the kitchen. My roommate is pretty mechanical so he was able to supervise my friend in doing the faucet job. Of course I have also used sink plungers for sink clogs. Anything that is too advanced I would call a plumber though..messing up a plumbing job could cost thousands.
Simple things like unblocking a drain I can do and you learn more tricks and then learn how to prevent! I would leave certain things to professionals because if you make a wrong move, it can cause more damage. Having experienced several leaks, plumbers are worth it, because insurance wise you won't be covered f you are found to have the problem worse.
If it's a blocked drain or a blocked toilet, we usually use the pumps to unclog them. It works most of the time and we don't have to call professionals. But for more serious issues like leakage or overflowing of the toilet bowl, that's when we call the plumber. Just last year, the bathroom downstairs got clogged. But what is worse is that it also spats out the water, dirt and all the things out of the drainage. It's super gross and unbearable that we have to call for a professional group of people to take a look at the sewage drainage. They fixed the problem in about a day. Of course, it comes with a hefty price tag. But we'd rather pay than suffer from such an icky problem.
My husband is pretty handy but when we bought our house we had no idea what the people before had been putting down the drains. About two months later, the laundry sink started to back up so we called a plumber. He came and snaked out our line and showed what had been poured down the drain. It was a good lesson on what cannot go down the drain. He also gave me a little tip to help keep your drains and lines clear. Once a week our boiling water down all your drains and you can prevent many problems. My husband then went out a bought a snake which he can use whenever there is a clog in the line. He's only had to use it once but we've had friends borrow it too. He's also changed out our kitchen faucet when it had a leak. I think we have saved quite a bit having him do the work.
I spent a lot of time with a plumber and though I've never tried to do any plumbing [the need is yet to arise] I think I can some basic plumbing. I intend to learn a little more about plumbing because I have a project in mind that would see me pay plumbers a lot of money but if I can do it all myself I can use that money for other things or just save it.
