Decision: Call A Plumber Or DIY
Certain plumbing issues such as a slow drain or a dripping faucet can be easily remedied in DIY mode. If you’re confident and handy with tools you might want to take on a faucet replacement or shower head upgrade. Doing your own plumbing repairs can save you money but you should also remember Murphy’s Law. Here’s what you need to know before attempting any plumbing project:
Be Prepared to Turn Off Water Supply
As a general matter every household member should know where the water main shutoff is and how to shut it down in the event of an emergency. For fixture repair and replacement there are shutoff valves under sinks and behind toilets.
Disconnect Electricity
Garbage disposals and electrical appliances should be unplugged or the breaker shut off until plumbing work is complete.
Start With the Right Tools
Avoid chaos or the possibility of making the situation worse by having all the tools you’ll need, and then some, within reach.
Have a Plumber’s Number Handy
It’s your backup plan in case something goes wrong. Seriously, everyone should have the number of a reliable plumber on their phone, preferably with an easily identifiable icon.
If you’re an Absolute Precision customer, or if you live North of Boston and wish to consider us as your plumber of choice you can use the icon at right as the contact photo for your phone. Pair it with our phone number 978-774-8835.
When You Do Need A Plumber
If you’ve been putting off fixing that dripping faucet calling a plumber might help to restore your sanity. Here are five common plumbing problems along with an assessment to help you determine whether or not you need a plumber.
Dripping Faucet
A dripping faucet is not going to get better on it’s own. According to the EPA 1 drip per second wastes 3,000 gallons of water per year. So if you’ve been putting off repairing that dripping faucet it’s probably time to call a plumber.
Running Toilet
Another huge water waster. Running toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons of water per day. While many homeowners are capable of handling this DIY project, if you have been putting it off, if you’re unsure how to proceed, or if a leak is present then it’s time to call a plumber.
Leaky Pipes
While it’s true that we get more calls for leaky pipes in winter due to the freezing temperatures here in Massachusetts, the fact is that pipes can leak for a variety of different reasons. And the aftermath of a pipe leak is usually a nightmare you want to avoid. That’s why it’s best to call a plumber at the first sign of leaking or frozen pipes.
Uneven Water Pressure
We’re using the phrase uneven water pressure because most of the time the problem is isolated to one fixture. If it’s a kitchen or bath faucet the 2 probable causes are a clogged aerator or a valve that’s not fully open. You don’t need a plumber for this nor do you need one if you recently purchased a new shower head with a built in flow restrictor. Just clean or replace the aerator, open the valve, or remove the flow restrictor and the problem should be solved.
Other water pressure issues are a bit more complicated to diagnose as well as to repair. Faulty valves, over soldered joints, and even mismatched piping cause blockages leading to reduced water pressure. For these issues you should call a reliable plumber.
Hot Water Heater
Water heater problems do call for a plumber. A qualified, licensed, reliable plumber you know you can trust to diagnose the problem, repair it if possible, or replace it with a water heater perfectly suited to your household’s needs.
Since water heater issues are almost always unexpected and seem to come at the most inopportune time it pays to have already vetted your family plumber and have him on speed dial.
Homeowner Horror Stories
Although we’re not called in when DIY plumbing is a success we do receive a fair amount of calls to complete the job when a repair goes wrong. Sometimes it’s just because people get frustrated after making multiple trips to a big box for parts that don’t seem to fit. But more often it’s because the problem ended up being more than the homeowner bargained for.
Licensed plumbers receive classroom training and spend many hours in the field gaining experience. This is invaluable because, in plumbing, you have to know and be prepared for all the things that can possibly go wrong. You’d obviously want to avoid a situation where efforts to fix one problem either worsen the problem or lead to another problem somewhere else in the house.
Peace Of Mind
One of the advantages of calling a licensed plumbing professional is you can sleep at night. A diagnosis from an experienced plumber eliminates the guesswork as well as the possibility of collateral damage. Then there’s the problem that often comes with using lower grade parts typically found at big box stores. Once you start installing these lesser quality items in your home it’s only a matter of time before one or more of them fails.
The licensed plumbers at Absolute Precision always use the best available parts. And because each of our vans is fully stocked you can expect your plumbing problem to be solved quickly and affordably. We eliminate the guesswork, the trips to the big box store, and the uncertainty that comes with using low quality replacement parts.
Absolute Precision Hits the Mark
Ken was recommended to me by another tradesman as the best plumber he ever worked with. That sounded like the right guy to call for some work on our new home. Ken and his team definitely didn’t disappoint. First of all, Ken showed up every time when he said he would. He spent a couple hours going over the work we were considering, making recommendations, and giving some pro tips along the way. He worked with us to stay pretty close to our budget for all we needed to get done: installation of a kitchen sink, faucet, disposal, dishwasher, shower valve, main shutoff, laundry sink, washing machine drain, and gas dryer. As he and his team got started, I was a little concerned when our old countertop got cracked when we pulled the kitchen sink out after a test fit. But after that minor issue, everything went great. Ken clearly takes pride in his work, even to the point of squaring up the gas lines that very few people will every see. I was impressed that with all the putty, PVC cement, cutting oil, pipe dope, etc. the only the sign that someone had been working was a little oil on the window shade above the dryer. And to top it all off, Ken event lent me his tile cutter so that I could re-tile our shower. Thanks, Ken, for being passionate about your work and reputation and for helping some new homeowners get ready for their next child!
Call A Local Plumber
If you’ve decided that now is the time to call a plumber then you can’t do better than Absolute Precision. With over thirty years of service in communities North of Boston we’ve built our reputation on award winning customer service, superior workmanship, and competitive pricing. As a local company we’re able to respond quickly in the event of an emergency. Chances are we can dispatch a technician who’s already in your town or neighborhood.
Our primary service area includes:
Andover, North Andover, Boxford, Topsfield, Middleton, Danvers, Beverly, Peabody, Lynnfield, North Reading, Reading, Wilmington, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham, Woburn, Winchester
For immediate service (including 24/7 emergency service), please call us today at (978) 774-8835. If you have any questions, or would like to request a FREE quote, contact us today!
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