Plumbing systems are the most common type of home repair in the United States. Most of those repairs are beyond the typical homeowner and need to get done by a professional plumber.
There’s always a risk of hiring a bad plumber though. How do you know if that’s happened to you? Let’s take a look at 7 signs of bad plumbing work.
1. Leaks or Visible Water After the Work Gets Done
Plumbers are supposed to fix leaks, not cause them. But sometimes a bad plumber will do a poor job and wind up leaving you with small leaks.
Big problems are less common since they’re harder for them to overlook while they’re doing the work. But small leaks are bit always easy to spot and may not be obvious until you’ve got a puddle on the floor.
Along the same lines, if you see water on the floor or anywhere else it’s not supposed to be after the plumber finishes the work, it could be another sign of plumbing gone bad.
2. Loose Fixtures or Joints
Plumbing fixtures and joints need to have tight connections. If they aren’t connected properly, it can lead to those leaks we just talked about.
If you’re left with something like a wobbly faucet or showerhead or a loose-fitting toilet fixture, the plumber didn’t do their job properly. These issues need to get resolved as quickly as possible to avoid further leaks and water damage.
3. A Lot of Caulking
Plumbers use caulk to seal joints but it should get applied judiciously. They should only use enough to get a seal, not layer it all over the place.
If you see a lot of caulking work after they’re finished, it could be a sign that they’re trying to hide flaws or mistakes.
But even if it isn’t done to hide problems, it’s a good sign that they’re either not very good at the job or don’t have a lot of experience at it yet.
4. Your Water Pressure Is Too Low
Water pressure relies on a good flow through the pipes that deliver water to your taps, shower, etc. If your water pressure isn’t very good after having plumbing work done, it could be a sign of a bad plumber.
This is especially true if your water pressure is worse after the work gets done than it was before.
If this happens, the plumber might have missed another problem that needed to be fixed or they might have caused a new one during the work they did. Either way, it’s something they should have caught and fixed before leaving your home.
5. Negative Online Reviews and Community Feedback
Before you hire an unknown plumber, you should always search for something like “plumbing services near me” on Google to see what comes up. You should find some reviews for local plumbers from previous customers — look for any negative reviews to see what kind of trouble people had.
If you see a small number of negative reviews in a long list of positive ones, it may not be a big concern. But if most of the reviews are negative, keep looking for a different plumber.
If you’re doing this after the fact, it’s too late to avoid the problem. But knowing what kind of problems other clients have faced with your plumber might help you address the issues you’re having with them.
The same goes for feedback you get from friends or neighbors in your community. If you mention you hired a particular plumber and you get an “Oh no!” reaction from people, it’s probably a sign that the plumber has a bad reputation.
6. The Plumber Fails to Warn You About Potential Problems
An experienced plumber should be able to spot issues that could lead to problems down the road.
For example, you might have a leak in your pipes that’s caused by the foundation of your home shifting. A good plumber won’t just fix the current leak, they’ll let you know what caused it and what other problems you could run into because of the shifting foundation.
That doesn’t mean they should pressure you into having major repair work done immediately though. If it’s something truly urgent, make sure they give you all the details and back up those claims with evidence.
Otherwise, they should give you enough information to understand the problem and let you think about what you want to do. That will also give you a chance to get a second opinion and possibly several quotes for the work.
7. They Don’t Respect You or Your Home
Good plumbers respect your time. If they tell you they’ll be there at a particular time, they should stick to that commitment. Arriving late shows a lack of respect but even arriving early could cause problems if you’re not ready for them yet.
Something unexpected could come up but if that’s the case, they should contact you immediately to let you know they’re running late. If they just show up late, it’s not a good sign.
The same goes for how they treat your home. They should clean up their own mess and take care not to damage anything while they’re completing the plumbing work.
If you find a bunch of discarded packaging or other materials after they leave, they obviously didn’t have enough respect to clean things up for you. The same goes for water on the floor — it’s bound to happen while they’re working but they should have it all tidied up before they leave.
How to Avoid Hiring a Bad Plumber
The best way to avoid hiring a bad plumber is to do some research ahead of time rather than waiting until they’re finished to find these seven signs. Use them as things to look for during your search for a plumber and skip anyone who doesn’t live up to these standards.
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