In this trend of DIY, everyone is taking up the task upon themselves to do the things that were once only done by professionals. When it comes to repairing pipes and leaks, it might feel enticing to fix them yourself and ignore the offers that your local plumber Alexandria VA, runs on their storefront banner.
But if you’re living alone, which 37% of the Alexandria residents are, according to this report, you might not have time to take care of your plumbing leakages. This article discusses why hiring professionals for plumbing repairs might be a better option.
There’s a Lot That Goes Behind a Home Piping System
The modern plumbing system has done a great job at hiding all the complexity and exposing end-users with binary switches. Roll the valve in one direction and have the tap running, and roll in the opposite direction to stop it. But behind this simplicity, a lot of things are at work. From pressure to gravity to flow, everything is taken proper care of so that the water flows in and out of your home seamlessly.
To give you a basic overview, there are two main components: supply system and drainage system. The former brings the fresh water in, and the latter is responsible for taking it out. The incoming water is always under pressure. This pressure must be sufficient to drive the liquid upstairs, corners, wherever the pipes are. The flow is partly controlled by the valve system.
Once used, water is then drained outside your home into a sewer or septic system. In this component, there’s no use of pressure. Instead, gravity comes into the picture.
So when there’s a leakage, you must adopt it according to whether it’s an inflow leakage or outflow leakage.
This is just the very basis of everything. There are soil stacks, faucets, gas meters, vent stacks that must be checked accordingly. If you’re not comfortable working with these, it’s better to leave it to the pros.
Plumbers are Trained Professionals
Plumbing is often viewed as a low-level trade that requires little to no education. But to become a plumber, you must get certified and licensed before you’re allowed to work. The first requirement that plumbers must meet in Alexandria is to pass the high school diploma.
Then go through an apprenticeship at a local trade school. This is where they get exposed to all the ins and outs of the home piping system. The final requirement is to get a license obtained after 2-5 years of work experience and training.
In Virginia, the certification and licensing of plumbers are regulated by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. It is mandatory for plumbers, along with ventilation, heating, HVAC technicians, to get certified.
Therefore, the next time you think your local plumber doesn’t possess educational proficiency, you should think twice.
You May End up Saving More
DIY is trending among millennials as a great way to save money. But as this article from Bustle points out, it depends. When engaging yourself in a DIY project, you need to figure out the problems and gather the necessary spare parts.
You have to bring these from a local department store or online. In either case, you’d be spending money. But what if the technician or plumber can bring it at a cheaper cost? After all, they must be purchasing the parts in bulk and availing discounts.
But that’s not the higher cost. If you’re going to fix a plumbing issue, the higher cost is the tools necessary to carry out the task. These include wrenches, hacksaw, faucet keys, pliers, plungers, hand augers, gloves, PEX pipe expanders, crimpers, among others. Some of these alone cost $100 and above in Alexandria. So, unless you’re going to do every plumbing task on your own, buying the tools might not be worth it.
Complete Peace of Mind
Last but not the least, peace of mind is what professional plumbers deliver along with a fixed leakage. When you go to bed, you’ll have no fear of the leakage reappearing in the middle of the night. Professionals know how to fix something — permanently. Most DIYers can only fix something temporarily.
When you hand over the job to a local plumber, you can demand whatever you want to fix or replace it with a new one altogether. So if you stay busy for most of your day, asking the plumber to take care of the leakage can take some workload off you.
With over 160,000 people, Alexandria is among the most densely populated cities. Finding a plumber on an immediate basis might not be possible all the time. Therefore, when you spot a potential leakage, you should inform a local plumber in Alexandria, VA, to drop by and have a look.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
