Knowing when to hire a professional plumber can save you a lot of cash in the long run. You should contact a licensed plumber when a plumbing problem requires the expertise and skill of a professional. Please remember that you can prevent many serious problems and emergencies by hiring an experienced professional when you have a problem with your plumbing system. Keep reading if you want to find out what kind of problems require the expertise of a professional.

4) You will need to have on hand drain leak tape, small gas torch, solder, flux, plumbing sandpaper, pipe cutter, gas tape (to seal gas line) and maybe some pipe glue. Ask the sales person at the hardware store for a more defined list.

Be cautious. If you've just become aware of a problem with water line repair in your home, there are a few steps you should take. First, if there's a lot of water (such as from flooding), you should turn off your electricity to avoid electrocution. Also, don't use your regular household appliances (such as a vacuum cleaner) to remove water. If the water is contaminated (such as from a sewage line), you and your family should leave the home so that you don't get sick. Finally, if the water is from a leak, try to locate the leak's source and turn off the water to prevent further damage.



When trying to locate a plumber, be sure they have had proper training. There are three types of plumbers and they are classified by the amount of training they have. An apprentice plumber receives training through a local union. They follow an apprenticeship program for about three or four years. They learn through on-the-job training and some classroom structure. An apprentice plumber does get paid for on-the-job training.

Dishwasher. To check water leakage on your dishwasher, you will need several sheets of paper placed underneath the machine before operating it. When the machine stops, check the sheets of paper you placed underneath to see it they are wet. If so, call a maintenance person to repair the leak immediately. It is important also for you to remember that regular dishwasher uses 15 gallons on every wash load. Make sure that when you use it, the load is full.

Here are some general cautions. Do not begin jobs on holidays, weekends, or at times when plumbers raise their rates or are difficult to reach. Do start early leaving plenty of daylight to call a plumber if something goes wrong. Study the situation carefully. Think about what might happen if something suddenly broke and what the effects would be. Old corroded copper tubing might break in the wall when you are wrenching an angle stop that supplies the water line repair to your toilet. A flood in the wall could be costly. If the angle stop, on the other hand, is new and shuts off easily and you have another toilet in the house then it might make sense to repair the toilet yourself. Be honest, too. Are you handy with tools? Did you do well in shop classes in school?

Turn the water off at the main shutoff valve at the street. You should be able to take a pair of pliers(or your bare hands) and turn the valve at the water meter to shut off the water to your home. Once you have shut off the water you can cut the pipe around the leak and make the repair.

Especially with older plumbing systems, a leaky pipe is like an alarm, signaling that other pipes may also be on the brink of failure. To get a grip on whether your plumbing system can last, a professional plumber may send a remote camera through your network. If any pipes are about to break, the camera will give you a heads up. If your entire plumbing system is outdated and weak, it may be best to simply replace the whole thing. Although this can be a costly enterprise, with a price tag of at least a couple of thousand dollars, the upside is that a new sewer line will reliably perform its duty for decades to come.