When a plumbing breakdown happens at home, we freak out, and the first thing we do is call a plumber running. It does not matter if it is a weekend, a holiday or at night. Panic spreads, and then what trembles are our wallet. Well, if you want to start taking care of yourself in easy breakdowns at home, we invite you to continue with us in this book of ideas. There are little tricks, maybe obvious, that you may not have taken into account until now. You will also find ways to prevent these types of breakdowns. You will never go to bed without knowing anything else!
#1. Calm Down and Think
The first tip is simply don’t panic. We know that breakdowns and unforeseen events are very scary, but calm down and think if you could fix it yourself in some way. Perhaps it is silly, and a piece has come loose, etc.
#2. Change the Washer Hose
Changing the hose of the washing machine only takes a matter of 5 minutes. All you have to do is buy the replacement part at the hardware store and exchange it for the old one. It is not complex at all, and you save money.
#3. WC
It is also not too complicated to change the toilet hardware system to do it yourself without any problem. Of course, close the water stopcock and follow the instructions step by step.
#4. Keep in Mind Where the Stopcock Is
And if for the WC, we were referring to the water stopcock, we cannot ignore that it is essential to know where it is. Many, many people have no idea, and it is essential when there is a leak.
#5. Be Clean: Take Care of Your Hair
Everyone, who else and who less, our hair falls out. But we can all prevent this from clogging our pipes if we clean the shower of hair every time we shower and put specific products and plungers in the pipes every so often.
#6. Toilet and Wet Wipes… Bad Combination!
There is a bad habit of throwing wet wipes (for babies or those we use to remove make-up) down the toilet all over the world. This is fatal since it clogs the pipes in our house and is the most polluting because they are not biodegradable.
#7. Fixed Price Instead of Hourly Payment
If you have to hire a plumber, try to get them to give you a fixed price and not a price for hours of work. Keep in mind that this way, it is likely to do it much faster.
#8. The Simplicity of Adjusting the Parts
When the parts, the water tap, etc., are loosened, it is as simple as tightening them again, and that’s it. Consider this option first before calling anyone.
#9. Beware of Weekends
If you are going to call the plumber, it is better to do it during the week, since, on weekends and holidays, the price (of course) shoots up. So, keep it in mind if the breakdown is not urgent.
#10. Replace Broken Parts
The toilet seat, the towel rack, a tile … are small things that are very easy to change by ourselves and do not require professional help.
#11. Check That There Are Suitable Replacement Elements
Concerning what we said in the previous point about replacing old or broken parts. First, you have to check a compatible model (for example, for the toilet bowl or a tile equal to the ones you have).
#12. Beware of The Cold in The Pipes
If you live in an area where winters are freezing, be careful with external pipes and take care of them from freezing temperatures because they can burst. Prevention is better than cure!
#13. Constant Dripping Is No-Nonsense
You should know that if your tap has been leaking for a while, the fault may be more serious than you think. So, the longer you take to call someone to help you out, the more expensive it will be for you if you haven’t gotten it yourself.
#14. Ask for Budgets Before Hiring
We recommend that before hiring a plumber, you ask for several approximate estimates by phone or internet. They will never be the final price, but seeing an approximation will give you an idea.
#15. Choose by Recommendation
The recommendation of friends or family about trusted plumbers will be very well received, so trust them. You will know that he did things well for them, and they were happy.
#16. Leave the Space Clear
Especially if we are talking about hourly jobs, everything you take out of the way so that access to the breakdown is as fast as possible, the better. Clear the area, especially the bathroom that usually has a thousand things in between.
#17. Professionalism Is Essential
Do not opt for one or the other plumber only for the price; professionalism is not paid. You already know that in the end, cheap is expensive!
#18. Appreciates Their Work
Once the work is done and if it is well done, you can give them a tip or comment on their website and recommend it to your friends and family… there is nothing better than thanking things well done!
