Having plumbing problems can range from being annoying to making your home completely unlivable. While there are some plumbing issues that you can tackle yourself, there are others you should leave up to the professionals. 

It can be tempting to try your hand at fixing issues such as replacing pipes or remodeling; however, more often than not, you will end up putting yourself in a worse situation. If you are unsure whether the plumbing issue you have can be easily fixed or needs a professional plumber then the following list will help you out.

1.  Water Heater

Water heaters are devices that use electricity to heat up water, therefore,  it can get quite dangerous trying to fix one if you do not know what you are doing. There are different issues that can arise from a heater. For example, it could have a leak or there could be an electrical problem that does not allow the water to heat up properly. No matter how simple it may seem, you need to contact a plumber rather than taking the chance and getting electrocuted. Other issues that can occur include valve bursting, leaking, corrosion, or rust affecting the efficiency of the heater.

2. Leaking Pipes

Old pipes can spring leaks which can flood your home repeatedly. You can easily plug a hole or two, but this is not a long-term solution that you can depend on. Likewise, trying to repair the pipes yourself or replacing them is difficult if you are not a plumber. A plumber knows how to repair any broken or burst pipes without affecting the surrounding pipes and without flooding your home by mistake. Sydney, Australia-based inner city plumbing professionals recommend that if you have a leaky pipe, whether it is a toilet pipe, one under the sink, or in the infrastructure itself, contacting a plumber to take on the job ensures the issue won’t escalate. 

Even if it is just dripping, a leak will not only be a huge waste of water over a long period of time but it will also cause surrounding damage by rotting wood, causing waterlogging and even ruining ceilings of lower floors in your home.

3. Water Pressure

There are many reasons that can result in low water pressure. This is one of the issues that can turn from being mildly annoying to extremely frustrating in no time. Because of the range of reasons, it is best to call in a plumber to figure out what the main issue is to fix it. One of the causes of low water pressure is a clog deep in your plumbing system. Figuring out where a clog is located needs certain experience and knowledge that you lack.

4. Renovations

Remodeling and renovating your home requires hiring different contractors for various work around your home. If you have an old house, your plumbing system is probably starting to fall apart. Even if it is holding up, if you want to add any kind of appliances that use water and need to be connected to your plumbing system then you will also need a good plumber to hire. Plumbing-related renovations include relocating pipes and installing new fixtures for you to use.

5. Work Requiring Permits

Some plumbing jobs need permits to ensure that you are not endangering yourself or others around you. These permits are granted by the government. Getting a permit can be hard if you do not know who to contact and what requirements you need to meet. Hiring a certified plumber ensures that you can get permits to work on any kind of plumbing project without any issues. Some of the work that requires a permit depending on where you live includes re-piping or working on drainage pipes.

6. Frozen Pipes

If you live in an area that gets freezing temperatures, you have probably had pipes freezing on you. If you do not take proper precautions, you will end up with a mess on your hands. When water freezes inside a pipe, the frozen water expands which causes the pipes to expand. This expansion can lead to pipes bursting. Not to mention it will limit your water supply which can affect water pressure.

Now that you are aware of the different situations needing professional plumbing, you can judge for yourself whether your plumbing issues can be solved through your own DIY methods or not. If you feel like the dripping sound you’ve been hearing for a while is a sign of a bigger issue then it is better to be safe rather than sorry and call up a plumber in your neighborhood.