30 secrets your plumber won’t tell you

Mondays and Tuesdays are when plumbers get the most phone calls from DIYers who realise they’re out of their depth, Wroblewski says.

But you’ll save in the long run by avoiding call-backs and extra charges. Look for a company that warranties its service for up to a year for major installations or repairs.

Small drips can waste over 30 litres of water a day, and a continuously running toilet can waste more than 750 litres of water, daily. If you ignore them, you’ll pay for it when your water bill arrives.

Sure, we’ll be happy to check those supply valves under your sink free of charge after we finish the work you’re paying us for. Just ask. Same goes for checking your water pressure.

I had a lady who said she wanted to run to the grocery store to get some coffee to make for me and my guys while we were installing her new kitchen. She said she was just gonna run to the store and asked if we wouldn’t mind keeping an eye out for her one-year-old daughter who was sleeping at the time. We said fine, but she ended up not returning until four hours later. The kid was screaming her head off and we didn’t know what to do. We tried holding her. We didn’t know if she was hungry or what to feed her. She just kept crying.

“Don’t assume that every Mr. Fix-it advertising his services is a licensed plumber,” says one plumber.

“Don’t go to the Yellow Pages to find a plumber,” says Stevens. “It’s like guessing lottery numbers. Anyone can make an appealing ad, but that doesn’t mean they are legitimate. In this industry, it’s easy for a plumber who develops a poor reputation to advertise under a different name. They come and go.” Even searching for someone online may end up being a scam using fake reviews. Instead, look for a plumber who is well-established in your community. Local contractors or plumbing fixture stores can also refer you to a quality plumber. “Most of these firms won’t work with bad plumbers.” Or simply ask your neighbours for a referral. A trusted plumber that consistently delivers quality service does not remain a secret for very long.

Get a minimum of three bids. Estimates for an average-sized job should be within a few hundred dollars. Be suspicious of anything that is substantially lower or double the price of the rest, and watch out for hidden fees, like charges for travel expenses. They could be signs of a home improvement scam. Many of us will offer free estimates.

There’s a reason why service calls aren’t cheap. Not only is being a plumber hard on backs and knees, but workers also risk exposure to biohazards from sewage (where nasty diseases lurk, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, and leptospirosis) and toxic methane gas.

Water damage is the leading cause of home insurance claims, accounting for around 40 percent. Flooding and sewage backups, often caused by increasingly intense precipitation, are responsible for the most problems.