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, and hiring them can put your family’s safety at risk and cost you more money in the long run.
Beware of these situations:
- 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 if the job requires anything more demanding, such as repairing a gas leak, you’ll want a professional plumber licensed by the State. Consider the safety of your family!
- General Contractors – if a general contractor is making improvements to your home, be certain that contractor uses only licensed plumbers. Failure to use licensed plumbers can leave you vulnerable to legal action if you sell your home and don’t disclose plumbing work.
- Home Warranty Companies – a deal which offers homeowners protection from faulty items (not detected when the home was purchased) all too often becomes a source of frustration. Many home warranties do not provide for emergency service. Also, they frequently offer no service on weekends or holidays. Do you want to wait several days for emergency plumbing service? Furthermore, warranty companies have casual relationships with the repair people they send to homes, if they know them at all. Can the warranty companies guarantee that their contractors have passed background checks and drug screening? 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 and then reinstall it when the floor installation is complete. Did you know they charge you for the removal and reinstallation of the toilet? Trouble can result when the new floor covering is thicker than the former covering. This puts the toilet mounting flange lower in relation to the toilet, leaving a big 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.
Berkeys licensed plumbers look for these kinds of mistakes, as well as routine wear and tear during a plumbing tune-up, which you can receive each year when you sign up for the BAM Plan.
Call us at 972-464-2057 or request an appointment online for all your plumbing needs.