Save Money on Plumbing Calls

Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 9:01PM
Greg Mies

Sooner or later you will have a plumbing issue at home and you may even need to call upon the services of a professional plumber. Now you’re thinking “how much is this going to cost me?” Here are some tips to help stave off that call for help and how to get the most bang for your buck if you do call.

• To avoid clogs in your shower, be sure to have a good strainer over the drain. Most shower clogs are usually caused by hair so catching it before it goes down the drain is imperative.

• Avoid putting trouble items down your drains. This includes grease, cotton, napkins, coffee grounds, and diapers. Keep them out of the drain and keep the plumber at bay.

• Do some investigating yourself before calling a plumber. You may find out that you don’t have a leak at all but rather some bad caulking. Spots on the ceiling for example could just be a shower upstairs with old, dry caulk. Touch it up and your troubles may disappear.

• If you do call a plumber, don’t become fixated on hourly rates. You may feel that selecting a plumber that charges less will save you money but that’s not necessarily the case in the long run. Plumbers that are reliable and experience can charge a premium for their skill sets and that’s OK. Better to pay a little more for a true professional up front than pay for them to fix someone else’s inexperienced mistakes.

• See if you can buy the plumbing fixtures yourself. Plumbers have to charge additional fees for obtaining the fixtures for your job. They’re no ripping you off. They just have to absorb the cost of traveling to the supplier and any fixtures that other unscrupulous customers may change their minds about. Ask if you can purchase them but be sure you get the right ones or you may incur a service fee for the plumber to show up and find out he can’t work with what you bought.

Follow these tips and be secure in knowing your money is being wisely spent. If you do find you need professional help, call Mies Plumbing and we’ll treat you right.

Article originally appeared on Plumbing Fond du Lac Plumbing, Plumber Fond du Lac Plumber, water heaters, kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel & more. (http://plumbingfonddulac.com/).