Questions To Ask Your Plumber

People often come across plumbing-related issues. These are a few issues that generally everyone faces. The plumbing services can be time-taking, which means the plumber would be there for a long time. For your safety, you should know well about the plumber who is going to work for you. Before hiring a plumber, you should know their credentials, project details and charges.

It is always advisable to ask your plumber a few questions. If you are contacting a plumber service company, then make sure to ask them about the plumber they are sending and some necessary details about him. You can contact several plumbers and get the best rate in the market, or you can also go through their websites. A lot of companies these days provide a rough estimate before starting the work.

Tips To Fix Leaking Pipes

Turn off the water supply

One of the best ways to stop water leakage is to turn off the water supply directly. Often the plumber takes time to reach and in that case if you are in a very messy situation; doing this will surely help, before the plumber reaches you.

Turn off the faucets connected to pipe

You can simply turn off the faucets that are in connection with the pipe. To start with, you can begin with the lowest faucet. Allow the water to run down until the tank gets empty.

Clean the area of the leak

To avoid any kind of slip while the plumber is at work, clean and dry the area where you know there is a leak. This way, the plumber will also be able to work freely.

Apply putty

For a temporary fix, you can apply putty to avoid leakage

Questions One Should Ask The Plumber

To have a clear picture of your plumber, the list below talks about the questions one must ask their plumbers before beginning with the work.

Ask for the License

The first and the foremost thing you should ask your plumber is whether they are licensed. This is one of the most important questions to ask your plumber before you let them work. A licensed plumber means that he has years of experience and can handle almost every task related to the plumbing services. A licensed plumber also means that the government has verified him through various tests, and anything he does would be legal.

A licensed plumber is classified into the country, regional, or state plumbing contractors. By hiring a licensed plumber, you are getting a well-experienced plumber, and you also hire someone who has a legal permit to perform his job, unlike the unlicensed plumbers. Unlicensed plumbers do not have permission to perform certain types of plumbing services, and thus your plumbing project becomes illegal or against the law and can be shut down by the government.

Ask About Their Insurance

Just asking about the license is not enough. The next thing that one should surely ask their plumber is about their insurance. Apart from the license, insurance plays a vital role in knowing about the plumber. Chances of theft and accidents are quite rare, but if something like this happens, you may end up in a messy situation. Finding a plumber with a legal license and insurance saves you from this kind of risk. A qualified plumber with insurance is always up for any job risk.

Know About Their Credentials and References

Always know that a plumber with years of experience is a good plumber, and anyone who claims to have years of experience will undoubtedly have at least four to five references from clients. People with no reference from contactable clients are surely not good plumbers. So one of the best ways to know about your plumber is to check their references. Though credentials do not promise the excellent work of a plumber, it helps you understand how committed your plumber is.

Know about the Independent License of Your Contractor

When you contact a service contractor for the plumbing service, you should know well about the company. Chances are there that all the plumbers of the company are licensed, insured, and have excellent references and credentials, but this is not enough. It would be best if you always make it a point to know whether the service contractor is licensed or not. You can also ask them whether they would come themselves for the service or send someone for the same. You may also ask them about their experience and references.

Ask About Service Fees

 A lot of plumbers demand fees for just showing up at your doorstep. Even if you don’t want them to fix the problem, they will charge you irrespective of whether they perform the task. It is always advisable to know the total charges that you will be charged by the end of the task and also if there are any hidden charges. This will help you know about the total cost of the service beforehand.

Know the Response Time

Plumbing leaks can be disastrous for you if not fixed quickly. This not only adds up your problem, but it also adds up to the money that you are going to pay for a particular service. A quick fix can be the only solution in times of emergency. You should always know how much time a plumber will take to reach you. A plumber who is available 24/7 and has fast service is always a better option than someone who takes hours to contact you.

Travel Charges

You may not be very familiar with this, but many professional plumbers charge for travel time to and fro from their job location. If your plumber is coming from a far away place, then be ready to pay up some extra dollars, and this can turn out to be a costly surprise for you. It is always advisable to hire a local plumber, it not only saves you from significant travel charges, but a local plumber knows well about the local codes. Also, many local professionals do not charge for travel, so chances are there that you do not have to pay for the travel expenses of your plumber.

Emergency Service

Most of the plumbing contractors either offer emergency service or work only for the regular work hours. You should be aware of the types of plumbing services available in your area. The contractors who offer 24-hour emergencies usually take up only emergency services. So it is always advisable to have contact with both the local plumber contractors of your area. Since these issues can arise at any time of the day, you may need help from either of them.

Ask About the Specialties, If Any

While hiring a plumber, always ask about the plumber’s specialty, if any. This step is helpful to ensure that you will get the best service. You can also replace your plumber if you think that the plumber has no or zero knowledge or experience about the task. If the task assigned to them is one of their specialties, you can relax because you are probably going to get the best service. This is one of the best ways to know about a plumber and the type of service that you are likely to get.

Charge For Parts

These days plumbers come fully packed up with the parts required in fixing issues. They give you a choice, you can either buy from them or run to your local plumbing supply store to get them. In some cases, you have no way apart from purchasing from your plumber. For these times, you should always know the amount that a plumber charges for the parts.  This cost is not inclusive of the service charge, so make it very clear whether the plumber is charging separately or providing it for free.

These questions will help you know better about your plumber, and will also let you know the exact amount you will pay for a respective task. It also ensures your safety by hiring a plumber who has a legal license and works with insurance. Asking questions from the plumbers is good, but overdoing it is never a good option. You should never over bombard questions to the plumbing service contractor, this may lead to an uneasy environment while the plumber is at work. These questions should not be asked in an interrogative manner.

Source: Questions To Ask Your Plumber