Why You Need to Protect Yourself by Hiring a Professional Plumber

Sometimes, when we’re experiencing plumbing-related problems, we think, “I can do this myself!” or “I can ask my uncle to do it.” However, this line of thinking can cause a whole lot of plumbing problems, not to mention become a costly debacle.

Why You Need a Licensed Plumber

There are many obvious reasons why you need to hire a licensed plumber. Here are a few:

1. You need someone with skills and training certified by the government.

If you want things done right, you should hire a professional who has undergone formal training and has the necessary licenses to perform the services you require.

You need to ask your plumber for credentials and make sure that he has the necessary license to do what needs to be done. That way, if things go awry, you can always report them to the government and get recompense for your trouble.

2. Avoid the risks of hiring anyone off the street.

I know it can be quite easy to hire someone off the street to fix your plumbing issues. You think, “This person knows what he’s doing. I can trust him to get the job done.”

The problem with that way of thinking is you risk your family’s safety and health. You need to know that the expert you’re hiring is certified with the license to operate a plumbing business.

3. Protect yourself from insurance problems.

When you hire just anyone without any license or credentials, you risk forfeiting your insurance. This can be a big problem, especially if you have warranty coverage for your equipment, as well as home insurance.

When you hire someone who doesn’t have formal training and the license required, that’s tantamount to giving up your insurance or warranty coverage. That is quite a costly mistake.

What Happens When You Don’t Ask for Their License?

If you need proof that hiring an amateur plumber is not the wisest thing to do, check out this story of a man from Taupo, New Zealand, who was fined $1,200 in the Taupo District Court for doing plumbing work minus the authorization.

The Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers – a local plumbing industry watchdog that regulates sanitary plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying industries – filed the case against Stuart Mill. Aside from the fine, Mr. Mill also had to pay $130 in court costs.

Mr. Mill performed bathroom renovations at a house in Taupo where he changed the existing hot and cold pipes and added valves to a new sink mixer. He also removed the laundry tub and replaced the sink wastepipe. After the alterations, there was no more water pressure and hot water flowing from the hot water cylinder’s drain.

The executive chief of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers board, Martin Sawyers, said it’s vital for homeowners to understand the risks that hiring unauthorized tradespeople to do plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying work bring. They put their own health and safety on the line, not to mention their families. Plus, doing so could make their insurance policy null and void.

Mr. Mills told the homeowner who hired him that he was a licensed plumber. However, she did not ask to see his practicing license and was content with seeing his business card, which listed plumbing repairs as one of his services.

Mr. Sawyers said homeowners should ask to see a license card, which states the credentials of a trades person, as well as the type of work that they are authorized to do. This simple act of asking for a license helps protect you from risks and ensures your safety. Everyone is encouraged to do this.

Performing unauthorized restricted sanitary plumbing work entails a maximum fine of $10,000.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

It’s important for homeowners to protect themselves from health and safety hazards by hiring licensed professionals to do their plumbing work for them. You must make sure to check for their license before letting them inside your house. Otherwise, you’re exposing your family and yourself to a whole lot of problems, including your health. Not to mention invalidating your insurance, which means a lot of costly problems in the future.

Plumbing repairs, in particular, can be quite expensive, especially if not done properly. Hiring a professional, licensed plumber helps you avoid that extra cost by getting things done right the first time. Plus, these experts know what they’re doing and won’t take you for a ride. You need to call a plumbing company that you can trust.

To prevent getting conned, be sure to ask for your plumber’s license before you allow him to perform plumbing services in your home. This will protect you from the cost and hassle of dealing with an amateur’s mistakes. You need to avoid the risk of endangering your family’s health and safety. Get to know your plumber before he does the work. Otherwise, you will end up knee deep in extra costs and suffer from the effects of low quality plumbing services.