When a pipe bursts or some other piece of plumbing malfunctions, our first instinct is to get the problem under control as soon as possible. The longer such an issue goes on, the harder it will be to repair. Not only will the issue be harder to fix, if left unaddressed, the problem could result in hundreds to thousands of dollars in property damage and water usage fees. Because time is of the essence during a plumbing emergency, we feel pressured to make a repair decision as soon as possible, without giving ourselves time to weigh our options completely.
Frozen Pipes: When water in pipes freeze they expand and may even burst the pipe. Close the main shutoff valve. If the pipe has not split yet, thaw it with hot water bottles from the end of the pipe nearest to the tap. Thawing must be gentle, never with a naked flame, to avoid thermal water expansion that too can split the pipe. As a preventive maintenance make sure your pipes are appropriately insulated against the cold months.
Some toilet repair valves do not take washers and therefore you cannot repair them. If you have a washerless shut-off valve that leaks it will need to be replaced. You will need: a propane torch, solder, flux, sandcloth, a wire fitting brush, a small section of copper pipe (most likely 3/4" I.D.), a slip coupling (again probably 3/4") and a shut-off valve. I would highly recommend installing a ball valve with a drain on it as opposed to a washer style valve. If you purchase a decent quality ball valve it will last a very long time.
You can find out what people have to say about service companies by reading reviews online. If you find a lot of negative reviews from one company, you should definitely stay away from them. There are many positive reviews online, so you should not have a problem finding a Trustworthy plumber that you can turn to for many years to come.
Call a Local plumber to set up an appointment for an inspection. You will need to be home for this service and when the work is complete, you want to be available to find out what the professional found out. If there is work to be done, depending on the severity, it might be a good idea to go ahead and schedule the next appointment for repairs.
You think you spend less. The first time a leak happens and you get to fix it, you think you can probably work out anything that goes wrong around the pipes. Congratulations for the luck if you have no background in plumbing but eventually, you will need assistance. At one point when the fixing doesn't work the way you want it, you get to spend even more on what you need to help stop the damage. So even if you think you can economize, you are in reality, spending just as much as you should with a professional plumber.
Once you have become a master plumber you can start your own plumbing company or you can even work for the government. This may sound like it is going to take forever to become a master plumber and it is difficult to achieve this level but it is not. Yes, it is going to take several years but the prestige title at the end is worth it.