The kitchen is the epicenter of the home – it’s where the food lives! So, it’s obvious that you want to make sure that your kitchen plumbing is always in tip-top shape. This could drive you toward the DIY method of doing things, as plumbers can be pricy. If you’re considering tackling any of the plumbing issues in your kitchen, you should know what the most common kitchen plumbing mistakes made by do-it-yourselfers are. More importantly, you should know what the effects of these mistakes are.
It is with this understanding that you can avoid making small errors that could result in large expenses. Continue reading to learn more!
5 Kitchen Plumbing Mistakes to Avoid
Not Turning Off the Water
You may think that you can leave the water out and quickly swap out a valve or something, but that’s a costly and stress-inducing mistake. In mere seconds, you will find that the water will still come out at full pressure – a lot of it. And the amount of water coming out can cause some serious water-related damage to your floors and belongings.
Not Using the Proper Tools
One of the most common kitchen plumbing mistakes is the use of the wrong tools for the job. A professional plumber makes their job look easy because they have access to the right tools for whatever tasks they’re performing. Using the wrong tools can damage your plumbing lines and fixtures, and even cause damage to the wall which the lines run through. This is not only annoying but also potentially quite costly depending on the extent of the damage.
Being Too Tough on Your Fixtures
Do you have a faucet knob that just won’t stop dripping? Forcefully turning a stubborn knob is one example of how your efforts to solve a problem can actually make it worse. Some leaks and drips can be remedied with a perfectly simple repair. But when you force the equipment you’re working with to function in the way you want it to, you run the risk of causing further damage – and that can get expensive.
Not Taking Pictures
If you’re a DIY plumber, then you probably don’t have a wealth of experience-based knowledge like a professional plumber would have. If this is true for you, it’s in your best interest to take pictures before and during your plumbing project. Take several photos, from several angles, at every step along the way. It’s easy to take virtually anything apart, but it’s much tougher to put everything back together if you’re not experienced at the task.
Refusing to Call in the Experts
It’s not uncommon for homeowners to realize that they’re in over their head partway through a kitchen plumbing project. If this realization has dawned on you, the best thing you can do is to call a professional plumber to finish the job. Continuing on when you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into is a good way to make silly and potentially expensive mistakes.
If you ever feel that you aren’t confident or skilled enough to complete a project without running into common kitchen plumbing mistakes, it’s time to recruit the help of a professional plumbing contractor!