Many plumbing repairs can be made by DIYers with the right plumbing tools and a little bit of elbow grease. Before attempting DIY plumbing you should know the differences between the many types of pipes, fittings, glue and solder. Not having this knowledge is where most DIYers most often mess up. In addition to not using the correct plumbing parts, DIYers often make these other common mistakes. Below, is how to avoid the top 10 most common plumbing mistakes and get the plumbing job done right, the first time.
Plumbing Mistake #1 - Overtightening Connections
Overtightening plumbing supply tubes, pipes, fittings and toilet bolts is the #1 plumbing mistake. If you crank too hard on a galvanized or black pipe, coupling, tee or elbow, you risk cracking the fitting. Often, the crack does not happen right away, but excessive force can break the fitting weeks later.
Overtightening plastic fittings on toilet and faucet supply lines is the most common problem we see. It does not take that much torque to seal a supply tube. If you tighten the hex nuts too much, they’ll eventually break and leak. Overtightening the toilet closet bolts at the floor or between the bowl and tank can crack the porcelain and destroy the entire toilet.
This one mistake, overtightening connections, can cost tens of thousands of dollars because it can cause a flood. Water damage restoration can be extremely expensive, so do not overtighten your plumbing connections.
Plumbing Mistake #2 - Wrapping Thread Tape Backward
PTFE thread seal tape is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), it is often called Teflon tape, it is used in sealing pipe threads. When applying this tape, it must be wrapped clockwise around the threads in order for it to work properly. Many DIYers or weekend warrior plumbers, wrap it backward (counter clockwise) and the tape actually unwinds from the threads as they tighten the fitting. That defeats the entire purpose of using PTFE thread seal tape because it will not seal if it isn’t embedded in the threads.
Here’s a Best Plumbers quick tip for wrapping PTFE thread seal tape correctly: Wrap it three times around the threads with the last wrap facing to the left as you screw the pipe into the fitting. If that last wrap is pointing to the right, stop everything and re-wrap it.
Using the propper PTFE thread seal tape for fittings is very important.
• Use thin white or thick pink PTFE thread seal tape for fittings that carry water.
• Use yellow gas-rated PTFE thread seal tape for gas line connections.
• Never use thread tape on compression or flare fittings
Plumbing Mistake #3 - Using Chemical Drain Cleaners as a First Choice in Clearing the Drains
The easiest way to remove drain clogs is to use a drain snake or a drain cleaning tool. Or, you can always try removing the P-trap and pour out the clog. Too many DIYers reach for the store bought chemical liquid drain cleaner first. More often than not, they pour in more of the chemical drain cleaner that is recommended. Liquid drain cleaner can create more problems than it solves. Here’s why:
- If the liquid cleaner doesn’t clear the clog, you or your plumber will often have to remove the trap arm. It will be filled with caustic corrosive chemical drain cleaner.
- Using too much drain cleaner, or using it too often, can damage the metal traps and pipes, causing plumbing leaks.
- Liquid drain cleaner destroys the rubber gasket used in couplings. If you have those couplings in your plumbing and you use the harsh chemical drain cleaners, you can damage them, causing plumbing leaks in the future.
- Liquid drain cleaners are made of highly toxic chemicals, such as lye and hydrochloric acid. These harmful chemicals are not only bad for the environment but they are bad for your plumbing in more than one way. Not only will it corrode your plumbing and eat through your pipes, but they will also destroy the good bacteria in your plumbing. There are certain kinds of bacteria in your plumbing that work to break down organic matter in drains. Without the presence of the good bacteria, larger blockages in the future will often occur.
Plumbing Mistake #4 - Starting a Plumbing Job Without Spare Plumbing Parts
Too many times DIYers make the mistake of buying just a cartridge or washer for a faucet repair. Common sense would tell you if the washer or cartridge are worn, most likely other faucet parts are worn too. If you don’t replace the stem seal and gasket and O-rings when replacing the washer or cartridge, you’ll probably wind up with a leaky faucet. That’ll mean a second trip to the hardware store and another faucet reassembly. Those peripheral parts are really cheap, always make it a rule to buy all the parts upfront and rebuild the entire faucet, rather than replacing a single part at a time.
The same plumbing rule applies when working on plumbing drain lines. If you’ll be disassembling a metal p-trap and arm, make sure you have enough rubber compression gaskets to replace the gasket in every joint you disassemble. The beveled poly washers used on PVC traps and arms can be reused, but you should still have a few spares in case you lose one or discover the old one is cracked and leaking.
Plumbing Mistake #5 - Starting a Plumbing Project & Not Turning Off the Water
Many plumbing DIYers think they can quickly swap in a new valve and keep the water on. This rarely turns out well. If you can’t attach the new valve or faucet, you’ll have full water pressure flooding the room and dripping down to the lower floors. Why risk thousands of dollars in damage when all it takes is a few extra minutes to shut off the main water supply valve? Experienced professional plumbers always shut off the water. So should you. Find the main water shut off in your house, turn the valve and shut the water off. This one helpfull plumbing tip could save you tens of thousands of dollars.
Plumbing Mistake #6 - Applying Too Much Pressure On a Stuck Shut Off Valve
Sink and toilet shut off valves will lock up and are hard to open when not operated for long periods of time. If you can’t turn the knob by hand, don’t think you can solve the problem by applying more muscle. You’ll not only break off the knob, but you can also break off the valve stem at the same time. The problem is that the stem packing seal has welded itself to the valve stem, preventing it from turning. The fix is use an adjustable wrench to loosen the stem nut just enough to break the bond so you can turn the knob. When you’re done, simply snug up the stem nut and make sure there’s no leak.
Plumbing Mistake #7 - Sweating Copper Pipes With Water in the Pipe
Copper pipes and fittings must be completely dry before sweating. If there’s any water near where you’re working, it’ll cause the joint to leak. Trying to heat the water with a torch to boil it off doesn’t work. Don't try it! The steam will create pin-holes in the solder. When you turn on the water, you’ll see fine jets of water shooting out of the joint. Then you’ll have to redo the entire job. The solution is to plug the pipe with white bread, a special capsule-like plug or a special tool before hitting the joint with a torch.
Plumbing Mistake # 8 - Not Having the Right Plumbing Tools
Plumbers make a complex plumbing job look really easy because they have the right plumbing tools. DIY plumbers try to skate by with the tools they have in their tool box. This is where things usually go wrong. Trying to remove an old galvanized nipple with an ordinary pipe wrench or slip joint pliers can break the pipe and leave the threads in the wall. You can prevent that kind of damage by buying an inexpensive set of internal pipe wrenches. The same advice applies to other plumbing repairs.
- Avoid damaging the finish on your faucet with a strap wrench. Or wrap the jaws of an adjustable wrench with electrician’s tape.
- Remove stubborn faucet supply tubes and fasteners with an extendable basin wrench.
- Get perfectly square cuts on tubing using a tubing cutter rather than a hack saw.
- Speed up copper burnishing with a combination interior/exterior wire brush.
Plumbing Mistake # 9 - Mixing up Wyes, Tees and Elbows
Knowing which drain fittings to use in each application is critical to avoiding code violations and really unpleasant smells. In this picture, a DIYer has installed a wye to connect the p-trap to the vertical drain. But they had to add a 45-degree elbow to make the horizontal p-trap connection. This setup may look okay, but it’s a code violation that can cause real problems. As it sits, the drain water will flow so fast down the steep slope that it can siphon water out of the p-trap, allowing sewer gas to enter the house. In other words, this setup really stinks. The DIYer should have used a sanitary tee in this application. Yet, you can’t use a sanitary tee in all drain applications. You can’t use it to connect two horizontal pipes or a vertical pipe to a horizontal drain. Different situations call for a tee, wye or a long or short sweep elbow. Plus, you can’t use 90-degree vent elbow to change direction in a drain line (unless you really like cleaning out clogs). In other words, you’ve got to know when to use each type of fitting. You can find the proper uses for each fitting in a plumbing guide book. Or, touch base with your local plumbing inspector before buying parts.
Plumbing Mistake # 10 - Installing a Saddle Valve for an Ice Maker or Humidifier
Piercing saddle valves don’t meet plumbing codes. Yet, they still come packed in many ice maker and furnace humidifier kits. DIYers constantly continue to install them. That’s a huge mistake. Saddle valves are notorious for leaks, especially after being subjected to the shut-and-opened cycle many times. Since they’re often installed in out-of-the-way places, the leak can go unnoticed for months, causing mold problems. Toss the saddle valve and install a ball valve instead. If you’ve already installed a saddle valve, remove it and install a ball-style shutoff valve now before the old valve starts leaking.
We hope these top 10 plumbing mistakes made by DIY plumbers help you if you ever try and become a DIY plumber. If you want to play it safe and be smart, simply visit Best Plumbers input your location and discover the Best Plumbers in your area. They will save you a lot of time, and often, a lot of money.