subject: Not For Every Little Thing [print this page] When do you really need a plumber? There are a lot of little things a plumber could do for you, but for the most part, those can be done at home. A clogged toilet or drain, for example, simply takes a plunger to pull the clog, some gloves to remove it, and drain cleaner to clear out what is hidden or left behind. Also, some things like a faucet with a slow leak does not NEED a plumber, a home improvement store will have a lot of info and all the supplies, or if you do not like that faucet anyways, a replacement faucet is available there too.
However, there are definitely some things that require a plumber, however, are when the pipes freeze with water inside and burst, or when the faucet bursts and starts spewing everywhere, when the water heater breaks and needs replacing. There are so many things that could go wrong, and while many of them are fixable by a do-it-yourselfer, it would be better to have the peace of mind that a professional is going to make sure your house will keep on working the best it can.
Any plumbing emergency, where water is not staying where it should and can't be stopped, calling a plumber as soon as possible is a really good idea, but the first thing to do is actually to go to the water main and turn it off so the house does not flood. This is not always as urgent however; for example, if a pipe breaks under the sink in the kitchen, turn the water off before it ruins the carpet in the next room, but if you have an unfinished basement and a pipe starts is leaking but not spraying, there is no need to turn the water off to the hole house.
Before any of those situations, it is a good idea to go to the utility room and find all the water shut offs and label what they shut off so that you do not have to turn off the water to the whole house for every little situation. Repairs for anything involving plumbing should always start with turning off the water, whether you are doing it yourself or calling in a pro.
So, no need to call a plumber for every little gum in drain problem, but make sure to call them when the water gets out of hand.
