We’ve collected everything we could find, from simple stupidity to downright bizarre “repairs” that a DIYer or even an unqualified plumber thought would be a good idea.
Here is a brief summary, read the rest of the article to the end for all the details:
These are the five biggest plumbing mistakes plus the best ways to avoid these common pitfalls.
- Error 1: Improper matching of threaded connections. …
- Mistake 2: Skipping the primer. …
- Mistake 3: Failure to observe restraint. …
- Mistake 4: Using a dull pipe cutter. …
- Error 5: Heating the solder, not the copper.
The 6 Biggest Plumbing Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid
1.) Ignoring signs of plumbing failure. …
2.) Poor and irregular plumbing maintenance. …
3.) Free use of chemicals. …
4.) Careless pipe usage behaviors x . …
5.) Trying to do repairs on your own without being prepared. …
6.) Not getting help when you need it.
Not all plumbers are trained equal
We often have the impression that we only need to use the services of a emergency plumber to install sanitary appliances.
1. Just plug it in, what’s the worst that can happen?
When something leaks, just plug it, right?
Yes, of course, if you want that water heater to explode!
For some reason, this emergency plumber still thought making a bomb was a good idea.
Fortunately, a licensed professional discovered it before it was too late.
2.Physics? Who needs it!
We’ll ignore the fact that this emergency plumber used a connector intended for a gas line when he needed one for a water line, just to be nice.
What we can’t ignore is the obvious mistake that even a kindergartener wouldn’t make.
It doesn’t take a physics degree to understand that water doesn’t flow upstream.
On top of having to go back to elementary school, this plumber turned an absolutely perfect water heater into something dangerous.
If water doesn’t flow down and out of the system, we risk seeing a repeat of outcome number one…an explosion.
3. There’s a reason you should hire a licensed plumber.
Just because someone says they’re a plumber doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing.
The owner of this tankless water heater learned the hard way that you should always hire someone who is licensed.
Improper installation caused this water heater’s pipe to melt because there wasn’t enough water inside.
The owner sure is very happy to have saved some money by letting his friend work on it right now.
It just shows that you honestly get what you pay for.
4. Just because you can’t mean you should.
Were they trying to build a miniature water park?
There is literally nothing good about these pipe jobs.
Seriously, who looked at this and said, “Another job well done!” »
Looking at the bottom center piece, here’s another person who thinks water can defy gravity.
Anyone can connect these pipes together, but that doesn’t mean the end result will be functional.
Fortunately, this plumber can find another job for the day.
5. All that matters is sufficient strength.
Of course, just push these two PVC pipes together until they fit together.
There is no need to seal the fitting or anything else, it’s not like a water leak will cause corrosion.
Judging by the grooves in the plastic, this pipe has been leaking for a very long time.
Fortunately, a emergency plumber who knows what he’s doing was able to catch him before things got worse.
Who knows what kind of damage this leak may have caused over time.
6. Sometimes people make mistakes.
This main line for someone’s pool backwash hose was completely clogged with hardened calcium. For what?
Well, there’s a reason pool stores exist.
Using the wrong chemicals can lead to costly and untimely repairs, like this one.
It’s a good thing that there are qualified plumbers who can fix these mistakes.
7. It’s time for this pipe to remove.
This piece of history is an old lead water pipe from the 1920s.
The pipe came from a city water meter, providing water to residents of an old house.
In its heyday it was probably very beautiful, but time has certainly taken its toll on this ride.
In addition to being old, it is made of lead.
It’s better to replace this with something a little less contaminating, don’t you think?
8. No one is to blame here, but the result is a bit impressive.
Here’s another piece of melted piping from a tankless water heater.
This time everything was installed correctly, it was the water heater itself that malfunctioned and caused the damage.
He decided to continue heating without any water passing through the pipe, which caused this image.
Things are bound to fall apart from time to time, it’s inevitable.
But you have to admit that seeing a burnt pipe like this is pretty impressive.
9. Traffic jams can be… crappy, to say the least.
Wastewater pipes have all kinds of things passing through them.
To spare your eyes from the chocolate-covered eyesores, here are some cleaned items that have been removed from a clogged pipe.
Fortunately, plumbers are more than willing to do this kind of dirty work.
And then, who flushes the toilet? And this screwdriver?
How do these things happen? Maybe we’d rather not know.
10. Speaking of shitty things, how would you like to take your bathroom breaks in lavish style?
Not so much a plumbing mistake as a marble toilet…what?
Post-Chipotle escapades don’t seem to deserve such finesse.
It’s not like this golden shell seat opens to reveal pearls, but who are we kidding?
How can you not want a marble toilet in your home?
This is perhaps where Auguste Rodin got the idea for his statue The Thinker.
Jokes aside, this seems like a very valuable possession and a very luxurious addition to any bathroom.
Its owner will certainly want to call a licensed emergency plumber when he needs to have the pipes repaired.
The 10 Most Common Plumbing Mistakes Plumbers Make
You can complete most home plumbing repairs and even update plumbing fixtures with just a few special tools and a little motor oil.
The work is not physically difficult.
But you need to know the differences between the many types of pipes, fittings, glue and solder, because this is an area where DIYers often make mistakes.
In addition to not using the right parts, plumbers also make these other common mistakes.
Here’s how to avoid the ten most common plumbing mistakes and get the job done right.
11. Overtighten fittings
Overtightening supply pipes and toilet fittings and bolts is the number one mistake plumbers make.
If you overtighten a galvanized pipe, fitting, tee or elbow, you risk cracking the fitting.
The crack may not occur immediately, but the excessive force can break the fitting weeks later, causing flooding.
It is even more common to over-tighten the plastic fittings on toilet supply tubes and faucets.
It simply doesn’t take much effort to seal a feeding tube.
If you tighten the hex nuts too hard, they will eventually break and leak.
Additionally, if you overtighten the toilet bolts at floor level or between the bowl and tank, the porcelain may crack and destroy the toilet.
12. Winding the yarn strip backwards or using the wrong strip
PTFE tape (commonly known as Teflon tape) must wrap clockwise around the threads to work properly.
But many plumbers wrap it upside down, so the tape actually unwinds from the threads when they tighten the fitting.
This defeats the purpose of using thread tape because it cannot be waterproof if it is not embedded in the threads.
Here is a tip for correct packaging:
Wrap around the threads three times, with the last wrap facing to the left, as you screw the pipe into the fitting. If the last coil is pointing to the right, stop and rewind the hose.
Also use the correct tape.
- Thick white or pink threaded tape for fittings that carry water.
- Use yellow tape for threaded gas line connections.
- Never use thread tape for compression or flare fittings
13. Use drain cleaners as your first choice
The easiest way to remove clogs from the kitchen and bathroom sink is to use a snake or a barbed x pipe cleaning tool.
Or, simply remove the siphon and pour the cap.
But too many plumbers reach for the liquid pipe cleaner first and pour in way more than the recommended amount.
This is a mistake, because liquid drain cleaner is not the best choice , let alone the best.
In fact, it may create more problems than it solves. Here’s why:
If the liquid cleaner does not clear the clog, you or your plumber will likely have to remove the trap arm later and it will be filled with caustic, corrosive pipe cleaner. It’ll be fun, right?
- Using too much drain cleaner, or using it too often, can damage metal traps and pipes and cause leaks.
- Liquid pipe cleaner destroys the rubber seal used in fittings. If you have one of these fittings in your pipes and use liquid pipe cleaner, you will damage it, causing leaks in the future.
14. Tackle a plumbing problem without replacement parts
Plumbers often make the mistake of only purchasing a cartridge or washer for a faucet repair.
But if the washer or cartridge is worn, chances are other parts of the faucet are too.
If you don’t replace the stem seal, gasket, and o-rings when replacing the washer or cartridge, you may end up with a leaking faucet.
You will then have to go to the hardware store a second time and dismantle/reassemble another faucet.
These peripheral parts are cheap, so make it a rule to buy all of these parts upfront and “rebuild the faucet” rather than replacing just one part.
The same rule applies to work on drain pipes.
If you need to disassemble a metal trap and arm, make sure you have enough rubber compression gaskets to replace the gasket in each joint you are disassembling.
The beveled poly washers used on PVC traps and arms can be reused, but you should always have a few spares on hand in case you lose one or discover the old one is cracked.
15. Not turning off the water
Many plumbers think they can leave the water on and quickly change the valve.
Yes, it rarely turns out well.
If you can’t attach the new valve or faucet, you will have full water pressure flooding the room and leaking to lower floors.
Why risk thousands of dollars in damage when it only takes a few extra minutes to turn off the main water supply valve?
Experienced plumbers turn off the water. You should do the same.
16. Using too much force on a stuck shut-off valve
Shut-off valves on sinks and toilets tend to become blocked when left unused for long periods of time.
If you can’t turn the knob by hand, don’t think you can fix the problem by applying more force.
Not only will you break the knob, but you can also break the valve stem at the same time.
The problem is that the stem seal has welded itself to the valve stem, preventing it from rotating.
The solution is to use an adjustable wrench to loosen the stem nut just enough to break the link so you can turn the knob.
When you’re done, simply tighten the stem nut and make sure there are no leaks.
17. Sweaty copper pipes with water in the line
Copper pipes and fittings must be completely dry before sweating.
If there is water near where you are working, the seal will leak.
Trust us, we tried heating the water with the blowtorch to make it boil.
It doesn’t work.
The steam just creates pinholes in the solder.
When you turn on the water, you will see fine streams of water coming out of the joint.
You will then have to redo all the work.
The solution is to plug the pipe with white bread , a special capsule-shaped plug or a special tool before hitting the joint with a torch.
18. Not having the right tools
emergency plumbers make the job look easy because they always have the right tools.
DIYers often try to skate by and make do with the tools they have on hand.
This is where things get really bad.
Trying to remove an old galvanized nipple with a regular pipe wrench or slip joint pliers can break the pipe and leave the threads in the wall.
You can avoid this kind of damage by purchasing an inexpensive set of internal socket wrenches.
The same tips apply to other plumbing repairs .
- Avoid damaging the surface of your faucet using a strap wrench. Or wrap the jaws of an adjustable wrench with electrician’s tape.
- Remove stubborn supply tubes and faucet clips using an extendable basin wrench.
- Make perfectly straight cuts on the tubes using a pipe cutter rather than a hacksaw.
- Speed up copper polishing with a combination indoor/outdoor wire brush.
19. Mix elbow, tees and sweep elbow
Knowing which drain fittings to use in each application is essential to avoid code violations and really unpleasant odors.
In this photo, a handyman installed an elbow to connect the siphon arm to the standpipe.
But he had to add a 45 degree elbow to make the horizontal connection to the siphon arm.
This installation may seem fine, but it’s a code violation that can cause real problems.
This is because the water from the drain will flow so quickly down the steep slope that it can siphon water from the trap arm, allowing sewer gases to enter the home.
In other words, this facility really sucks.
The emergency plumber should have used a sanitary tee in this application.
However, we cannot use a sanitary tee in all drainage systems.
You cannot use it to connect two horizontal pipes or a vertical pipe to a horizontal drain.
Different situations require a long or short tee, elbow or sweep elbow.
Also, you can’t use a 90 degree drain elbow to change direction in a drain line (unless you really like clearing clogs).
In other words, you need to know when to use each type of fitting. You can find appropriate uses for each fitting in a plumbing guide.
You can also contact your local plumbing inspector before purchasing parts.
20. Installing a seat valve for an ice machine or humidifier
Drilling for seat valves does not meet current plumbing codes.
Yet they are still packaged in ice maker and oven humidifier kits and you can still purchase them at home centers.
DIYers therefore continue to install them.
This is a serious mistake.
Seat valves are notorious for leaking, especially after being put through the closing and opening cycle numerous times.
Since they are often installed in isolated locations, the leak can go unnoticed for months, leading to mold problems.
Discard the seat valve and install a ball valve instead.
If you already have a seat valve installed, remove it and install a ball shut-off valve before the old valve starts leaking.
What do you think ?
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What causes plumbing to go bad?
Leave the pipes connected during the winter. …
Use vent pipes for anything other than ventilation. …
Using too much drain cleaner. …
Pouring chemicals (and other harmful products) into a septic tank. …
Screw, nail or cut into a wall with hidden plumbing pipes. …
Assemble two different metals in a pipe.
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Can you put 90° pipe in a sink drain?
Can you put a 90° pipe in a sink? It is poor plumbing practice to have a horizontal drain pipe that is buried in a slab or otherwise hidden. If you need to make a 90 degree angle, use two 45 degree fittings and place a short piece of straight pipe between the fittings, if possible.
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What is the most common household plumbing problem?
The most common plumbing problems are clogged drains and toilets, leaking faucets and pipes, water heater problems, low water pressure, and leaking toilets. Each of these problems requires a different solution which we will cover below. You don’t realize how much you rely on plumbing until you start having problems.