Fixing broken pipes yourself may not be a good idea; here’s why

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - After a winter freeze, homeowners flock to hardware stores trying to find supplies to fix their damaged and broken pipes.

Plumbers get busier than ever, so some people are forced to take the frustrating situation into their own hands, but that may not be a good idea.

Plumbers say practicing patience could protect your wallet.

People like Floyd Haynes couldn’t wait after a winter freeze.

He says he took the proper precautions and covered his pipes, but they still burst.

“They’re talking about maybe a week or two out before they come repair my pipes. So, I can’t be without water for a week or two,” he said.

MORE FROM NEWS 12:

• Do you have frozen or broken pipes? Here’s advice from experts
• CSRA residents urged to conserve water after freezing temperatures
• ‘It just wasn’t enough’: Pipe break leaves family without water for days

Stay up to date on winter weather by downloading the WRDW Weather App on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Tony Mariano with Flow-Pro Plumbing tells us while repairing your pipes yourself isn’t a terrible idea, it certainly isn’t recommended.

He says if you’re out shopping for plumbing supplies and you can’t find what you need, there’s a reason. That’s because the local plumbers have probably bought all the supplies so they can take care of their customers.

Mariano also says DIY repairs if anything will only be a temporary fix and could cost you more money in the long run.

“Out of all the calls that we do, I can almost guarantee you that more than a quarter of them are people who tried to fix things themselves and it didn’t work out,” he said.

Mariano tells us if you aren’t confident in your ability to fix your pipes, you may want to leave it to the professionals. Even if you are confident, you’ll still want to call a plumber to come out. He says most at-home repairs are only temporary fixes.

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