Leave the Fixes to the Experts

As a tradesperson with many years of experience, it's interesting to see new trends come and go in the industry. Lately - in the last few years - I'm noticing more and more home owners attempt to tackle plumbing and drainage problems themselves. In a way, I can understand them. The wider economy has been suffering since the 2008/2009 crash. People simply have less disposable income, so when a plumbing or drainage problem comes along, they hop onto youtube and follow some random youtuber's guide to fixing a leak. Then I'm called out when people really mess up.

I know there's some confirmation bias here, as no doubt there are many capable people who do happen to find a good "how to" video, and CAN do it themselves - clearly, I never meet such people as they feel like they've solved the issue themselves (not always the case in the long-term though!). However, I would simply caution people who have little to no experience: call out a professional. In a lot of these cases where people attempt to follow a video and try it themselves, I have to UNDO a lot of their work before I can even tackle the problem. That means I spend more time on the job, and it ultimately costs them more for me to correct their mistakes and fix the original problem. "A little knowledge is dangerous" is so true in many industries. There's a reason why plumbing and heating engineers require certifications.

Having said all of that, you can still end up hiring a so-called professional who does a botch job. My advice is to do a bit of research when everything's working well. Research local plumbers, electricians, painters and decorators. Look at their testimonials. That's better than panic-calling the first one you come across when you have an urgent issue in the home.

Article kindly provided by jonnys-drains.co.uk