There's a fine balance when it comes to plumbing repairs. On the one hand, if you do it yourself, you can save a lot of money, learn something about your home systems and feel the satisfaction of a job well done. On the flip side, if you mess up a repair, you can potentially turn a simple, common plumbing problem into a plumbing emergency and add extensive water damage to your eventual repair bill. It's crucial to be able to distinguish a simple job that you can take on yourself from a situation where you need to call in a plumber right off the bat.

How Handy Are You When It Comes to Plumbing Problems?

The most important factor when you're deciding whether to call a plumber is your own handiness and experience. If you built your own house and installed all the pipes yourself, you're probably prepared to take on any and all challenges. If you've never picked up a wrench, however, you might want to think twice before tackling anything more difficult than a leaky faucet.

Of course, even with no experience, you can do some jobs on your own. The key is to know when to stop before you make things worse. Here are some of the tasks that even a complete amateur might be able to complete:

A clogged drain: These are usually simple jobs that you can resolve with a plunger or a plumbing snake. More importantly, it's hard to make things worse even if you fail to clear the clogged drain.

A leaky faucet: This is a trickier job and requires some rudimentary plumbing tools, but as long as you remember to shut off the water supply before you start and follow directions carefully, you might be able to repair a leaky faucet on your own even if you don't have any experience as a plumber.

A maladjusted sink stopper: Another relatively easy task that only requires a pair of pliers. Plus, the repair is in the drain, not the pipe that supplies the water, so you're more limited in the damage you can cause in the event of a disaster.

When You Should Let a Plumber Take Over

After you master the basics and expand your skillset a bit, you might feel comfortable taking on more complicated jobs. However, you still need to know your limits. Here are some jobs that you should really call a plumber for.

A leaky pipe: A leaky pipe can potentially cause a whole lot more damage than a leaky faucet. If you let it go for too long, it can burst – and then you have a major mess on your hands, and an expensive one at that!

Issues with your water heater: Even if you are handy, water heaters are complex pieces of machinery. No matter what problem you are having – leaks, constant running, standing water – give your local plumber a call. We can also recommend when it’s time to replace the heater, too.

Problems with your sewer line: This is another repair that is best left to the professionals! Like water heaters, sewer lines are complicated and any issues need to fixed properly the first time. Common signs of sewer line issues include stinky smells coming from your drains, slow drains, mold growing around your plumbing appliances, pools of water in your yard, and overflowing toilets. If you notice any of these things, call us today!

Always remember – there's no shame in calling a plumber if you get in over your head on even the most simple repairs. It's better to suck it up and get help from a professional than to perform a shoddy or incomplete job that creates more trouble down the road. Plus, another benefit to hiring a plumber is that he or she is more likely to spot problems that you could overlook, like outdated pipe materials or mold under the sink.

When you need a helping hand, call your local Benjamin Franklin Plumbing at 1-877-BEN-1776 or contact us online!