Some plumbing jobs are best left to the experts

The toilet refuses to stop running. The kitchen sink keeps dripping. The water heater just doesn't seem to heat properly.

These are common situations that occur in home plumbing ones that happen particularly as a building and its components age. Yet, do you really have to call a plumber for maintenance?

The answer is maybe. It all depends on the level of difficulty as well as the homeowner's comfort level with performing repairs.

“In a single-family home that you live in, you can do all of your own plumbing as long as you follow all local codes, said John W. Baethke III, owner of John Baethke and Son Plumbing in Chicago and a director of the Plumbing Contractors Association of Chicago. “When I personally take a service call, I ask the customer how handy they are when they are calling about something that may be able to be done very simply, like lighting the water heater pilot or plunging the toilet. If it seems realistic, I have no problem walking someone through very simple tasks.

Many plumbing contractors are glad to help homeowners out with tips and advice on how to repair because they know you'll come to them for the more difficult jobs. But what happens if you completely botch something on your own?

“The worst that can happen is you turn off the water and call us, said Mick Mounts, co-owner of Courtesy Plumbing in Bolingbrook and Naperville. “We have 24-hour service so we can help you anytime.

While some plumbing repair jobs take more time and skill than others, most homeowners can accomplish simple tasks as well as preventive maintenance without calling a plumber. Here are some of the most common ones.

Toilets

Toilet repairs are by far the most common task for homeowners. Several things may go wrong with them, too, with the flapper inside the tank being an item that often wears out well before the lifetime of the toilet itself. If your toilet seems to run occasionally without prompting, that flapper may be leaking. Mounts suggested placing a few drops of food coloring into the tank.

“If the dye trickles into the bowl, then you know you have a leaky flapper, which is easy to replace as instructions are usually on the box for the replacement part, Mounts said.

Don't automatically assume that it's the flapper if the toilet keeps running.

“The toilet can keep running if the fill valve isn't adjusted properly or if it's in need of replacement, Baethke said.

An improperly connected fill valve is particularly troublesome for today's low-consumption units.

“If it's not connected properly, it's not going to trigger the fast-flushing action needed, said Lance Boldizsar, owner of Ridge Plumbing, Sewer and Drain Services Co. in Arlington Heights. “The result is a backup of solid waste, which people (incorrectly) think is a problem with the main sewers.

Low-consumption toilets are more prone to solid-waste backup, too, but there's a simple solution. Use a plunger.

“I know it sounds silly, but you would be surprised at the number of people who won't use one, Mounts said. “To auger a toilet, we charge $125. A plunger costs $5.

Water heaters

What most homeowners don't realize is that newer water heaters, those manufactured in the last 10 years, need to be cleaned periodically because of FVIR (flammable vapor resistant design) technology.

“A person could spill gasoline in front of the burner and it will not explode, Baethke said. “The problem is that the design makes maintenance extremely critical and so far people are not doing it.

The problem is, many homeowners are unaware of this maintenance need because they have either purchased a water heater at a big box store or possibly from a heating, air conditioning and ventilation contractor who may also not be aware of the need for periodic maintenance.

Air intake filters on these units should be cleaned at least once a month to eliminate dust and debris that accumulates. Boldizsar indicated that these filters are located either on the bottom of the unit or on the side near the bottom. When the filter gets clogged, the heater will shut off due to insufficient air intake.

Most water heaters will restart once the air intake filter is cleaned, but some will not and a new one must be purchased.

“That means that if a person does not clean their heater it could be garbage after as little time as one year or less, Baethke said.

Another routine maintenance job that homeowners forego is to drain the water heater periodically. What happens is sediment at the bottom of the unit will begin to harden.

“Your 50-gallon water heater becomes a 40-gallon unit that heats the sediment first, making it less efficient, Mounts said.

Hook up the water heater's forward drain valve to a garden hose, run it to a ground drain while the unit is running to flush out sediment and keep the heater running properly.

The anode rod should also be replaced approximately every two years to keep a water heater running properly.

“If you don't replace it, it speeds up the deterioration of the water heater, Boldizsar said. “This is one job that should be handled by a licensed plumber as there are only a handful of homeowners who can really do this.

Leaky faucets

Whether you tackle this job on your own depends on where the faucet is located. Many people are able to replace bathroom or kitchen faucets easily because water shut-off values are located under the sink. Tub and shower faucets are a different story.

“With tub and shower faucets, you don't have these valves visible because you have to open up the wall to get to them, Mounts said. “If you pull something apart and don't do it right, you won't have any water in your home. This is a job to leave for the professionals.

Sink clogs

Bathroom sinks are prone to stoppages because of hair, shaving cream, toothpaste and other material that goes down the drain. Consumers exacerbate the problem by not running water long enough afterward. Boldizsar recommended using a product called Bioclean in all of a home's drains once a week to keep them running smoothly.

“It's biodegradable and won't harm your pipes, he said. “You can't get this product in stores as only plumbers sell it.

Furthermore, Boldizsar suggested homeowners never attempt to put chemicals in a completely blocked sink. Not only will the fumes back up into the room and cause an environmental hazard, the chemicals will cause a problem if a plumber has to be called into open the drain as the P-trap must be removed to eliminate the clog.

Regular maintenance

You may think that a home's plumbing will work just fine unless the odd event occurs. Guess again. A few preventive maintenance measures can go a long way in keeping the water flowing through your pipes. Start by turning all the valves in your house once a year so they don't freeze into position.

“Turn the valve all the way off, then all the way on, then back ¼ of a turn, Mounts said.

This procedure is particularly important for the main water shut-off valve.

“The worst thing that can happen if you don't do this is and you have a broken pipe, the valve will be stuck, Mounts said. “Then the plumber has to go to the Buffalo box outside your home to shut off the water and when there's two feet of snow on the ground in winter and it's the middle of the night, that's not fun. Doing little things like this can save you a lot of money.

Other things homeowners can do are regularly change sump pump batteries and check the sump pump pit once a year to ensure proper operation and to clean any debris that may have accumulated there.

Boldizsar suggested that clay sewer pipes be rodded once a year to keep them clear.

“You have a good chance of having clay sewer pipes if your home is more than 10 to 15 years old, he said.

Most of all keep using your plumbing. Run water in seldom-used faucets, particularly in the winter when pipes may freeze. If pipes do freeze, don't do the job yourself.

“Using a blow torch on your own on frozen pipes is not good, Mounts said. “A professional knows how to do it. We have a special liquid that we spray on the wall to make it fire-resistant.

While there are some hazards involved with more complicated plumbing, some homeowners are perfectly capable of doing it on their own.

“I have had customers that have re-plumbed their entire home from scratch and only used us to consult on code issues, Baethke said.

“The only time I would say that a person should absolutely not do plumbing is when it is in a multifamily building or for a property that they themselves do not live in. This is breaking the law and could result in the sickness or injury of another. Typically insurance will not cover you if damage results from someone doing work that they are not licensed to perform.

If you are unsure about your ability to perform the job or what the plumbing code states, consult your contractor. Codes differ among municipalities and making sure the job is performed properly will eliminate further problems down the road.