How DIY plumbing caused $2,200 in repairs from water damage
Is DIY Plumbing a good idea?
DIY COST
$10-20
PLUMBER COST
$110 plus GST
REPAIR COST
$2,200 plus GST
Yes, yes, yes – we know there are hundreds of videos online that explain how do repair your plumbing. We get it, everyone would like to save some money to try and do their own do it yourself repairs at home when they can. Although sometimes it pays to hire a licensed contractor in Sydney that has the right expertise and knowledge to get a repair done correctly.
In this example the home owner attempted to repair their own plumbing and the damage they caused ended up costing over two thousand dollars in repairs. What they didn’t realise was their DIY plumbing repair job wasn’t done correctly which lead to their walls and flooring getting water damaged as a result. This could have been avoided by hiring a plumber for around one hundred dollars to fix their issue.
A lot of plumbing problems may look like they are easy to fix such as replacing a tap or fixing a leak. Although in many cases if that isn’t done properly you can cause other plumbing issues without even realising it. Or some plumbing repairs might actually be hiding underlying issues with the piping at a property that is deeper within the system that you can’t see.
Here is how this scenario played out
DIY costs – maybe $10 to $20 in basic parts & time
Plumber costs – about $110 plus GST for this type of repair
Repair the DIY work cost – around $2,200 plus GST
That is why it pays to get a licensed local plumber in Sydney who is qualified and insured for repairs to things like fixing shower heads that are leaking.
What damage did this leaking shower head cause to the bathroom?
The client decided to attempt to replace their leaking shower head after watching YouTube videos. They thought a plumbing repair job like this looked easy to do & that spending money on a licensed plumber in Sydney was a waste of time. So they used a shifter on the hex and put the shower head back on with Teflon pink sealant tape.
Although what the YouTube video didn’t mention was to silicon seal the gap between the hex nut and the tile.
So this was a double whammy because the client didn’t apply the Teflon tape correctly and there was no silicon seal either. This lead to water leaking behind the wall and into the tile bed and carpet of the adjoining room. So slowly but surely it was causing water damage to the property that wasn’t immediately obvious because the shower functioned, just that water was dripping slowly behind the bathroom.
To repair this water leak in the bathroom our plumbers had to;
– Identify the source of the water leak
– Assess how much damage had been cause.
– Remove the shower head.
– Reseal the gap between the wall tile and shower head backplate with sealant.
– Seal the thread correctly.
– Wet vacuum the water from the carpet and as much as we could out of the screed through the grout joints.
– Hire an industrial fan to help dry the area as much as possible.
– Re-instate the damaged carpet
This was the simplest solution for the situation but depending on the extent of the damage to the timber framework of the wall or the flooring this may also need to be replaced.
How much does a plumber charge in Sydney to repair a leaking shower head?
You can get a local licensed plumber in Sydney to replace your leaking shower head for as little as $110 plus GST.
This can ensure the repair is done correctly and while we are there we can inspect for any potential water damage in the bathroom. Nu-Trend has a team of licensed bathroom plumbers so in worse case scenarios we can do minor or complete renovations to your bathroom if it was required. In most cases this isn’t needed, it just depends how much damage has been caused by DIY plumbing repairs.
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Local | Licensed | Insured
Local Sydney contractors.
FULLY LICENCED 217859C
A qualified and licensed renovator.
INSURED $20,000,000
Public liability insurance for peace of mind.
Drainer | gas fitter | plumber | renovator
Nu-Trend is a Sydney company with more than 15 years experience completing bathroom renovations & solving plumbing problems. he Directors Rob and Rick are hands-on, and provide a personalised service.
STANDARDS AUSTRALIA AS/NZS3500:2018 Compliant
All the work carried out by Nu-Trend is AS/NZ3500:2018 compliant. It is the Australian Standard for Plumbing and Drainage in NSW as set down by Standards Australia and the Australian Building Codes Board. They give the plumbing industry technical direction to enable compliance with required regulatory frameworks.
15 years experience with a written commitment.
Rick and Rob are the hands-on directors for Nu-Trend. Rather than hire sub-contractors and manage their business from a distant office, they are on the tools, at your site & working towards delivering your bathroom renovation or plumbing service. It means you are talking directly to the owners of the business, the guys who are accountable and responsible rather than via email or through customer service teams.
It is why they are able to provide a written guarantee that demonstrates their confidence in standing by the quality of their workmanship and the service they deliver to every single client.
They have a very single minded commitment to deliver a high level of professionalism and quality, they’ve been doing renovation contracting in Sydney for 15+ years.