Although it can be tempting to try to fix a leaky faucet yourself, armed with a YouTube “How-to” video and some tools, it’s always better to call a professional plumber to do the job for you. Generally, there are four reasons for this, and they include the following.
1. A Pro Has the Right Expertise
Pros have seen every kind of leaky faucet there is. It could be an older faucet with washers, a washerless faucet, or any other kind of faucet. It could be square, round, long-necked, part of a farmer’s sink outfitted with a hose, or almost any other thing you might think of when it comes to faucets. If you look up a video on YouTube, then you might find something similar rather than the right directions for exactly the faucet you have. And, if something is similar but not exact, then you could accidentally make a mistake that has real-world consequences.
2. You Could Break Something
Those real-world consequences could be that you break the faucet, the pipes connecting to the faucet, or both. You could also damage other parts of the sink, tub, or other fixtures. If you break something, then not only will you need to get the original problem fixed but also the secondary problem that you created by attempting to do the job yourself. That’ll be more expensive for two reasons: 1) The plumber you eventually have to hire will have to spend more time than would have been necessary, and 2) You will need to pay for extra replacement parts.
3. You Could Void Any Warranty That You Purchased in the Past
Imagine that you wisely buy a plumbing warranty that covers pipes, fixtures, and workmanship for a set period of time. However, you try to fix a leaky faucet yourself and cause more problems than you originally had. In many cases, doing so will void the warranty you bought. In this instance, not only will the job cost more when you have to hire a professional plumber, but you will also have wasted the money you spent buying the warranty in the first place.
4. Anything That Gets Broken Will Be the Plumber’s Fault
When you have a pro do the necessary work, then that person’s business will be responsible for the parts and repairs. Not only that, but that business will also be responsible for any other damages. For example, let’s say that you call a pro to fix a leaky kitchen faucet. The person works at it but makes a mistake, sending water everywhere. Before either of you can get the water shut off, you wind up with water damage to the wall behind the sink. As long as the damage to the wall was the direct result of the professional plumber’s action or actions, the plumbing business, or its insurance company, would have to pay for the damage to the wall.
If you have a leaky faucet, you should take action by calling a professional plumbing service. Even if you think you can fix it yourself, you could cause further damage so it’s best to let a professional plumber handle it.
