Beware DIY Plumbing!
DIY (Dont Involve Yourself) Plumbing jobs cost UK Homeowners ££££Millions per year!
Many homeowners are tempted to fix leaks and install new appliances themselves due to cost-of-living pressures, however, it is noted that DIYers often make costly mistakes. A survey conducted by Water Regs UK has revealed that plumbing mishaps are the number one DIY disaster in UK homes, with 18% of respondents admitting they had to call in a plumber to rectify attempted DIY plumbing jobs. The survey, encompassing the experiences of over 2,000 people across the UK, highlighted the prevalence of DIY attempts gone wrong and underscores that plumbing needs the specialist skills of a qualified professional. Plumbers emerged as the most sought-after trade for fixing DIY disasters, it cited, with electricians and plasterers following closely behind. The research found that 45 to 54 year olds are the most at risk of choosing an unqualified plumber, with 47% turning to friends and family for DIY plumbing. “Attempting DIY plumbing projects can make things worse and end up costing more”
The survey also revealed the top plumbing tasks that Brits are most likely to try and do themselves. It found that 58% are likely to try and bleed a radiator, 42% are likely to check a stop tap is working and 41% are likely to try and fix a leaky tap. A statement said while many homeowners may have the skills to tackle simple jobs like bleeding a radiator or insulating a pipe, complex jobs should be left to a professional. Nearly one in 10 admit they would try to tackle more complex tasks such as installing a new toilet which, it cited, could lead to leaks and even contamination if installed incorrectly.
Kevin Wellman, CEO at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), told us: “At CIPHE, we work with a number of installers and plumbers who often arrive to customer’s properties to be met with a DIY endeavour that has gone wrong. This traditionally spikes over spring and around bank holidays, as long weekends incentivise those jobs that have been put off and encourage people to be a little more adventurous. “
Recently, for many consumers, the cost-ofliving crisis has been challenging to navigate and many see DIY as an opportunity to cut back on costs. While this may seem an understandable conclusion, rectifying mistakes from DIY can be more costly than paying a professional to get it right first time and there are serious risks to home insurance policies for people who have attempted work that they are not competent to complete successfully. “While customers may have the best of intentions – and there are, indeed, some jobs around the house that can be done at home - any professional will know that DIY can also be dangerous. “It’s vital plumbers and engineers highlight the risks of DIY to their customers, particularly when approaching heating or plumbing systems. Without correct training, one wrong move could result in a leak, burst pipe, or even carbon monoxide poisoning. Furthermore the cost to rectify DIY mistakes can run into many thousands of pounds. The failed DIY attempts we see the most are taps. People try to replace their own taps not understanding high-and lowpressure systems and will for example, fit a high pressure tap to a gravity fed system and then wonder why it doesn’t work. After that, it’s radiators. People assume that changing a radiator is a simple job but come unstuck when dealing with different types of wall fixings [especially on heavy radiators], different pipe sizes, misfitting of valves, and then real lack of knowledge of refilling the heating system afterwards especially with older gravity fed systems. Water Regs UK encouraged homeowners to entrust plumbing and water fittings renovations to approved plumbers.
