Choosing A Good Plumber

There are plenty of stories out there of cowboy plumbers ripping the honest homeowner off, taking longer and charging too much for simple jobs. The sad fact is that 99% of plumbers are genuine people, wanting to earn an honest living, but as always – the minority give them a bad name. What you have to ask yourself, is when you need a plumber in an emergency – how do you find a quality tradesman, and not a ‘fly by night plumber’ ??

The first place you should always start, is by asking friends and family if they have used a plumber and had a good experience with them recently, this way you know that you have a much less chance of being let down. If however you don’t know anyone who knows a plumber, and your toilet is overflowing with water, or you have sprung a leak and you need a plumber quickly, you can easily jump on the internet and be presented with hundreds of local plumbers. The institute of plumber is a registered charity who have a directory of qualified and registered plumbers which you can narrow down in a search down to town area. You can always pick up the yellow pages quickly, or simply do a search on google if you just haven’t got time to wait for a plumber. Start off by making a few calls, but before you agree for them to come over and do a survey, there are a few questions you should ask the plumber to weedle out the good from the bad plumbers:

 

–       Get an understanding of how long they have been trading for (the longer the better)

–       Ask if they have any customer testimonials on the internet, or a website where you can view previous work projects they have been a part of

–       Check that they are insured, in case they make a hash of your property

–       Does the plumber offer a guarantee? If so how long is it for, and what does it cover?

–       Are they a member of any registered bodies? If they say they are, don’t take their word for it, pick up the phone to the relevant body and do a check, or check online where you can.

Even if you don’t have time to check all of this information out, you might get an understanding from the plumber by the tone of his voice, or the way he reacts to your questions as to whether he is telling the truth or not. The next step is to give the plumber an exact description of what the problem is to try and get a rough idea of cost, then call another couple of plumbers to see if the price matches up to theirs.

The best idea would be to always ask if you can have a written quotation – if you have the time that is – a price which you can get the plumber to stick to.

 

By following this guide, you are sure to steer as clear as possible from a rougue trader style plumber and find yourself a genuine one.

What might YOU need a plumber for?

Because there are a multitude of reasons that you could require a plumber, it is inevitable that at some time in your life – you will have to turn to a plumber. Sometimes the requirement for a plumber may come around quickly, as small problems can present themselves immediately, like a toilet which has cracked or a tap that has broken. All of this considered, when you are moving home – you need to make sure that you take into mind all of the problems you could face if you move in to a house which has a few issues within these areas.

As you view properties that you are interested in purchasing, it is important to take particular notice to all of the potential plumbing issues that may be on the horizon. Read the era of the boiler, check if they have had a plumber, service it recently. Also – check all toilets and sinks to make sure that they are in great condition, including all taps maintained to a high standard. Maybe it’s a good idea to employ a plumbing technician to perform a short survey on the house to make sure that all of the components and pipes in the property are operating correctly – and not in a poor condition of repair, needing a plumber to fix them straight away.

TYPICAL PROBLEMS To take into consideration

SLOW DRAINING SINK

The issue of water draining slowly from baths, toilets and sinks is quite a normal and well-known issue to come across in any property, but this is quite a simple task for a plumber to fix. Waste water and dirt can catch on the inside of water pipes causing blockages as time goes on. Even so – this is a simple task for a plumber, a quick deconstruction of the local pipes for a clean using the correct tool will ensure this problem is fixed in no time by any means.

LEAKING WATER FROM SHOW HEAD

Dripping water from the shower fitting is another common household occurrence. A plumber fixing the shower head can be as simple as replacing one of the main washers. A plumber would find this job easy, simple deconstructing the shower head and replacing the connecting washer which is between the shower head and the water pipe. One other issue with shower heads is pressure decreasing in water flow – again through mineral build up, but a plumber can easily fix this problem for you by cleaning the shower head out to avoid further blockages.

BROKEN TOILET

Although a stressing time, a broken toilet is generally another simple issue for a plumber to fix, perhaps the toilet isn’t flushing properly, or it is leaking. Other problems can be the tank not filling up properly with water, meaning the toilet cannot be flushed more than once per hour as enough water hasn’t built up – but again this is another simple job for a plumber. If you notice a crack in the toilet pot, it’s a good idea to call a plumber straight away, as water could leak from the toilet, but a quick toilet replacement by the plumber and the problem is fixed.

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS OF YOUR HOME

Replacement taps, bathroom installations, new sinks, new tiles, new radiators, all areas in which a plumber can always help. These types of jobs to vary in time is takes to complete them and of course cost, but your plumber will advise you accordingly.

Having the number of your local plumber handy is very valuable, given their reliability, and offerings in the vast skillset that they possess. Most plumbers also provide drainage services; help with boilers and heating, in addition to plumbers helping with renewable energy. Whether you have a gas leak, a water leak, or anything along these lines, pick up the phone to your local plumber who no doubt will be only too happy to help – especially if you are buying a new home.