We’re all trying to save as much money as possible right now. For many, this means trying to handle some household issues that arise on our own, instead of calling in a professional. While this may be a good approach for a loose door handle or paint that gets scratched off, plumbing should never be a DIY activity. Your pipes are very intricate. Only an expert should ever tackle a job involving your plumbing; it’s too easy to get wrong and too important to mess up!
If you do attempt to handle a plumbing task on your own, you may just find yourself making one of these common mistakes:
#1 Overtightening Connections
Take it easy! Tighter isn’t always better, especially in the long run. Overtightening supply tubes, pipe and fittings, and toilet bolts is the number one mistake that novices make. If you crank too hard on a galvanized or black pipe, coupling, tee, or elbow, you risk cracking the fitting.
#2 Wrapping Thread Tape Backward
PTFE thread tape, often called Teflon tape, must be wrapped clockwise around the threads for it to properly work. Many DIYers wrap it backward. If you do this, the tape actually unwinds from the threads as they tighten the fitting. It can’t seal if it isn’t embedded in the threads.
#3 Using the wrong tape
Don’t just wrap the tape the right way- also, use the right tape! Use thin white or thick pink thread tape for fittings that carry water. It is best to use yellow gas-rated tape for threaded gas line connections. Be sure to never use thread tape on compression or flare fittings
#4 Not Turning Off the Water
You may be surprised how many homeowners think they can leave the water on and quickly swap in a new valve. You may be fast, but you aren’t faster than water! Pretty soon, you’ll have full water pressure flooding the room. This could quickly turn into thousands of dollars in damage.
#5 Using drain cleaner
The easiest way to remove kitchen and bath sink clogs is to use a snake or a barbed drain cleaning tool. Instead, many homeowners pour liquid drain cleaner down the sink first. Liquid drain cleaner can create more problems than it solves. Using too much drain cleaner, or using it too often, can damage metal traps and pipes, causing leaks. As well, a liquid drain cleaner destroys the rubber gaskets often used in homes.
#6 Not Having the Right Tools
Maybe you’ve seen a plumber work and thought “Well, I could do that!” Plumbers make the job look easy because they always have the right tools. Homeowners often try to tackle the job with whatever tools they have on hand. That’s where things go really wrong, really fast. You can easily break a pipe and leave the threads in the wall.
plumbing work isn’t physically challenging, but you do have to know the differences between the many types of pipes, taps, fittings, glue, and tools. That’s just one of the areas where DIYers often mess up. Homeowners in the Fultondale, AL area don’t need to make these mistakes because you can hire the plumbing and pipe experts at DrainBlaster Plumbing! To contact us, please call (205) 637-0668. If you have made a mistake and your repair is an emergency, please tell our team members this and we’ll be out very soon to fix the problem.