Plumbing Pitfalls – and How to Avoid Them

The plumbing profession is open to anyone who takes time to study the appropriate codes, serve an apprenticeship and pass state licensing examinations.

Unfortunately, some “plumbers” aren’t really plumbers. Hiring them can put your family’s safety at risk and cost you more money when you call us to fix their mistakes. Here are some situations to beware of.

Unlicensed Home Handymen

A home handyman may be able to handle some plumbing tasks, such as unclogging a drain or repairing a leaky faucet. But look out if your job requires anything more demanding, such as repairing a gas leak. There are many reputable handyman services, but always be certain you understand the limits of their capabilities and what licenses they have.

General Contractors

If you have a general contractor make improvements or additions, be certain that contractor uses only licensed plumbers. Failure to do so could leave you vulnerable to legal action if you sell your home and don’t disclose this plumbing work. And when you do disclose it, the value of your home can be affected until the work is done right.

Home Warranty Companies

What seems like a good deal that offers homeowners protection from faulty items not detected when they purchased their homes, or things that go bad later, all too often becomes a source of frustration instead.

• Many home warranties do not provide for emergency service, and offer no service on weekends or holidays. Do you want to wait several days for emergency plumbing service?
• Often, warranty companies have only a casual relationship with the repair people they send to your home, if they know them at all. Can the warranty companies guarantee that their contractors have passed background checks and drug screening?
• The warranty companies look for people who will accept the lowest possible price. Is that the way to get quality service?

Flooring Contractors

Typically, when flooring contractors install carpet or tile in a bathroom, they remove the toilet, then reinstall it when the floor installation is complete – and they charge you for it! The trouble usually comes when a homeowner changes to a floor covering thicker than the one it replaces. This puts the toilet mounting flange lower in relation to the toilet, leaving a bigger gap.

Non-plumbers often use a thicker wax ring, but we don’t advise this. When the extra wax is squeezed down, it can spread out over the opening and restrict the water flow. The right solution is to have a licensed plumber raise the flange so the gap remains the same.

Licensed Plumbers

Berkey’s licensed plumbers look for these kinds of mistakes, as well as routine wear and tear, when we inspect your home plumbing system each year as part of our Universal Protection Plan service agreement.

Call us at 817-481-5869 or request an appointment online for all your plumbing needs. Also, get more information from our Frequently Asked Questions about plumbing.