In the age of the YouTube how-to video and the endless DIY blogs, the growing confidence in Australian people that anything can be achieved with the help of professionals has never been stronger. In some cases, it’s good to see people learning skills and trying things for themselves. They can save money and learn useful abilities that help them and their families. When it comes to plumbing, however, there are things that should stay off-limits other than to a fully licensed plumber in Brisbane, for instance.
1. Burst Pipes
Sorting out a leaking pipe, even if just temporarily until a plumber can reach it, is something that an amateur home plumber can attempt. Indeed, it can save a lot of damage and trouble until a professional can get there. When it comes to burst pipes, however, even though the situation is more urgent, it’s not something you want to try and solve by yourself.
The only way to fix burst pipes is to replace them. Patch kits don’t cut it when the pipe has burst. This means pipes have to be first safely removed from their current position and new piping put in place. That’s not simple DIY work, but it’s work that plumbers have trained for over years.
2. Clogged Sewer Lines
If you have a simple blockage in your toilet or kitchen sink, you can always try using a plunger to shift it: job done. When the sewer line — that which takes wastewater out of your house — is clogged, however, it’s a more complex job. It can cause sewer backup and the terrible smells that come with it, as well as damage to your property’s floors, walls, and even the electrical systems if it’s overflowing.
Unclogging sewer lines requires specialized equipment and the know-how of how and where exactly to apply it. If you have any gaps in such knowledge or experience, then it’s not recommended you try to solve this problem on your own.
3. Water Heater Replacement
Just as mechanics advise car owners not to fiddle with the A/C or electrical systems, plumbers advise homeowners the same. A water heater installation involves electrical work that is beyond the common scope of safe and responsible DIY, not to mention regulation. It’s another to leave for pros. It’s not just a bit of a jolt you could receive, but even a deadly shock that leaves you seriously injured or worse.
4. Gas Line Work
After the warnings on electrics and water heaters, you might be able to guess why no properly licensed plumber would ever condone or endorse amateurs working on gas line repairs. Electricity can shock you and kill you, which is bad enough, but messing up gas line repairs could blow up the entire house, killing or injuring everyone inside. If you live in a semi-detached property, you could even destroy or severely damage your neighbor’s property. Fixing gas leaks, problems in gas lines, and installation of gas-powered infrastructures such as boilers, cookers, and whatnot, should be left to a skilled and experienced plumber.
Personal pride has no place when electrical and gas-related dangers are afoot!
5. Underground Work
Do you suspect that underground pipes outside your home are leaking, bursting, or otherwise in need of attention? How will you get to them? Are you going to dig up the asphalt? Are you going to tear down all the trees nearby and tunnel to the pipes? Anything involving underground work needs to be left to those with the right equipment. Properly licensed plumbers are in possession of CCTV pipe inspection devices that can travel into pipes from via the drains, exploring to find the real cause of problems and determine what needs to be done next.