When Do You Need to Call a Plumber?

Even for the keenest DIY fans, there are some jobs around the house that you shouldn’t attempt unless you are qualified for them. Top of the list would be to do the job of a gas engineer – you need to be Gas Safe registered to touch any gas appliances. Another would be to attempt a boiler service/repair – you need a heating engineer for this. But what about plumbing jobs – when do you need to call a plumber?

Burst pipes

Top of the list has to be burst pipes – it is shocking how much water can be released from a burst pipe in your home and how much damage it can cause. That’s why if you think you have a leaking pipe or a burst pipe, you want to have a plumber on site as quickly as possible. Definitely turn off the water at the mains to help handle the problem though!

Frozen pipes

Like burst pipes, frozen pipes are a job for the professional. Here in Eastbourne, they are less of a problem than in other parts of the country but if temperatures get low enough and you don’t have the right insulation on them, pipes can freeze. They then need to thaw and also checked for damage to avoid going straight into a burst pipe situation.

Blocked toilet

There are some blocked toilet situations that you can ease yourself but for serious ones or if you are unsure what’s happened, you definitely want a professional to come out and look at the problem. The last thing anyone wants is an overflowing toilet with all that dirty water returning to the house. Toilets can become blocked by any number of things and it is best to have an expert with the right equipment investigate the problem and remove the blockage.

Fitting new bathroom equipment

Whether you are getting a new bathroom or just replacing certain elements in it, you want a bathroom installer who is also a plumber or has one on the team. That’s because there are pipes to be connected and wastewater pipes to remove the wastewater that needs to be in the right place. Sometimes with a new bathroom, you might also need some pipework upgrading.

Blocked drains

Like blocked toilets, if your drains are blocked the situation can be very unpleasant and you want someone to handle it that knows what they are doing. Kitchen sink drains, for instance, can often get blocked by food waste, oil and fat which reduce the space in the pipe and stops the flow of water over time. This needs to be removed to allow the water to flow and stop the drains backing up.

Leaking radiators

If you spot signs of a leak from your radiator, you want a plumber to take a look at it. Water in radiators can be very hot so you don’t want to risk coming into contact with it and there can also be sludge from the heating system that can make a lot of mess. So this is definitely a job for a professional to handle.