Tips to Help DIY Dads Avoid Plumbing Fails
Father's Day is the perfect day to reflect upon and appreciate the impact that great dads or father figures have made in so many of our lives. It’s hard to quantify the amount of good advice, support, and protection that dads provide over the years.
Plus, sometimes they’re also a good source of comic relief. Every DIY plumbing dad has had a few epic fails that are permanently part of the family lore and regularly re-lived at family gatherings.
While we can't help but appreciate their efforts, it’s safe to say that DIY plumbing service dads aren’t always successful. Here are a few tips to help minimize or avoid the damage from the most well-intentioned plumbing dads.
Be Cautious With Toilet Installation
Installing a toilet is not a project that should be taken lightly. Improperly installing a toilet can lead to health issues, personal injury, and significant water damage.
This is one project that it’s really important to get right. After all, when it comes to ensuring that waste is properly handled and removed from your home, you want to make sure that everything is functioning properly.
While it might lead to some funny stories, toilet installation is a project that is best left to professionals and that can lead to substantial issues and headaches if not done correctly.
Water Leak “Easy Fixes”
One rule to keep in mind is that duct tape is NOT a way to fix a leaky pipe. While this might be dad tested or even dad approved, it’s not a good solution.
Not only will duct tape not provide a long-term fix for a leak, but it also doesn’t address the underlying problem, which will be ongoing and might even get worse.
The duct-tape fix can lead to lots of problems down the road and might even result in a plumbing emergency. So let dad put some duct tape on it until a professional can arrive, but don’t let duct tape count as a water leak “solution.”
The Risks of Drain Snaking
When a pipe is clogged, drain snaking seems like an easy enough way to resolve the problem. However, snaking without necessary training or experience is a bad idea.
Not only will it likely not be successful, but it also risks causing damage to your entire plumbing system and your system’s components. Obviously, this can lead to all sorts of significant and expensive problems.
Avoid this risk and headache by not attempting drain snaking unless you have experience. It might seem simple, but this is a job best left to professionals who will clean your drain. Did you grow up with a dad or father figure that wanted to do everything himself, from roofing to plumbing?
If so, this Father’s Day, make sure you thank him for the self-reliant spirit that he passed on and for his good intentions in taking care of your home. At the same time, however, make sure that you learn from some of his mistakes and that you know when calling a professional is the smartest thing to do.
