DIY Plumbing Disasters: Common Mistakes in Winnipeg, MB, Homes

Do-it-yourself plumbing, or DIY, has become all the rage in home design, remodeling, and even home repairs. While TV shows and the internet show a lot of success with DIY projects, plumbing is one household necessity that people should always call the professionals to handle.

Winnipeg's leading plumbing service shares some of the DIY plumbing "mishaps" we frequently correct so you'll remember these mistakes when you need a plumbing fix. Hopefully, you'll call the most reliable plumbing contractors in Winnipeg instead of doing it yourself. Professional plumbers will save you money, time, and worry.

Common Winnipeg DIY Plumbing Errors

DIY plumbers have a lot of heart. But the thing is, they don't have the right tools. They also don't have the proper training. 

Plumbing has undergone major advancements, and it's more than unscrewing and screwing a few parts. You always want to work with professional plumbing companies that use the latest tools and keep their technicians current with training. They know how to fix and prevent plumbing problems.

As these mistakes show, when you lack the right tools and training, these DIY plumbing projects cause more problems than they solve.

Flooding the Pipes With Drain Cleaner

Drain cleaner does the opposite of what it claims. It corrodes pipes, and corrosion leads to dirty pipes that make your water look and smell abysmal. It also causes leaks, mildew, and mold.

Corroded pipes create refined metals and other biological hazards you don't want to consume, shower in, or wash clothes and dishes in.

It does all of this without clearing big clogs.

Keeping the Water On

Forgetting to turn off the water supply during repairs is one of the most common mistakes people make. Pretty soon, gushing water soaks everything stored under the sink, floors, and more. And given the tools that might be lying around, the water could cause a serious electrical shock, resulting in property damage and personal injury.

Plumbers get a lot of calls about doing the work that resulted in a massive amount of water damage. 

Being Unable to Find the Shut-Off Valve

If you're in the middle of a DIY plumbing project and the water starts gushing in your home, you need to turn off the water. Most people panic, which means they either forget what they need to do or where the shut-off valve is located. Some people have no idea, which is never a good sign if you plan on tackling DIY plumbing repairs.

Plumbers encounter an overwhelming amount of water damage resulting from this.

Make sure you know where the shut-off valve is and how to operate it. Tell everyone else in the household, too. It's better to be prepared.

Shower Floor Slope

This is a DIY plumbing mistake that professionals get called out to fix all the time. The wrong shower floor slope damages the grout because it causes water to soak into it instead of draining.

Draining a shower properly requires water to flow in the right direction. That direction is something that gravity determines. Therefore, any shower floor slope relies on gravity to do the work. 

Many DIY plumbers think that more slope means more drainage. However, a larger slope often creates inefficient drainage. 

Therefore, a steeper slope isn't better. Letting a professional handle this saves money, time, and future repairs.

Over-Tightening Pipe Connections

People who work with pipes know the importance of "hand-tight plus a quarter-turn." It keeps everyone, from pipefitters to plumbers, from overtightening a connection. If you screw the connection too tightly, the pressure destroys the threads. This causes leaks.

Mismatching Pipes

Mismatching pipes is never a good idea. They don't fit together, no matter what you do. Connecting different pipe metals will cause your pipes to corrode.

Then leaks occur.

And here's the thing about leaks: lots of people overlook or don't notice them until they become so big they can't ignore them.

By that time, your plumbing and property have suffered extensive water damage.

Misusing Thread Tape

Thread tape is also called Teflon tape and PTFE tape. It's used to secure threaded connections. A threaded connection is a pipe fitting featuring a thread or groove at either or both ends.

These fittings connect to another pipe. Plumbers use thread tape to secure the connections. Plumbers apply this tape a certain way, something many DIY plumbers don't know.

Therefore, when DIYers screw in the fitting, the tape comes undone.

Maintenance Prevents Problems and More

Regular maintenance lets plumbers inspect your plumbing to find blocks, leaks, and corrosion you can't see or don't recognize. The tools make seeing behind walls and in other tight spaces possible. These inspections mean plumbers can do regular cleaning and adjustments to prevent problems from developing.

If a problem already exists, whether from a DIY repair or another issue, spotting it early means getting a head start on an issue that could cost a lot of money if ignored.

It could mean the difference between a minor repair, an installation, and even staying in a hotel while the work gets done. 

Maintenance keeps you compliant with warranties, too. If there's a recall on one of your plumbing parts or appliances, you might not qualify for it because you didn't get regular maintenance as the warranty stipulates.

Most manufacturers don't consider DIY plumbing attempts valid.

Contact King's Service for All Your Winnipeg Plumbing Needs

In 2004, Steve Moon purchased King's Service. We started with five trucks, and now we have over thirty. Our growth coincides with Winnipeg's growth and industry developments in plumbing, which our team remains current with as part of our commitment to excellent service. 

Instead of spending time online trying to figure out how to find a pipe leak in a wall when you don't have the right tools, let us do it for you.

We educate our clients so they understand what they need to do to maintain or create excellent household plumbing. 

Don't risk DIY plumbing disasters. Contact us at 204-633-9010 to book an appointment for plumbing maintenance, repairs, or installations in Winnipeg.