Heard my neighbor say you need a pro for any plumbing job, which is just wrong

I was taking out the trash yesterday and overheard him telling another guy that fixing a running toilet or a leaky faucet always needs a $200 plumber call. That's crazy. I swapped out a worn flapper in my own toilet for $8 and fifteen minutes of work after watching a video. Same thing with a dripping kitchen faucet last month, a new cartridge kit fixed it for under twenty bucks. People act like every drip is a disaster, but most of it is basic parts wearing out. What's a simple fix you did that saved you from calling someone?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_hill4728d ago

Wait, he said a RUNNING toilet needs a pro? That's wild. The flapper is literally the most common fix. It's two clips and a chain. My ten year old could probably do it after one youtube video. People just get scared of anything with water pipes. Saved myself a ton over the years just by trying the easy stuff first.

riley86010d agoTop Commenter

Totally agree. I once called a plumber for a drip under the sink. He showed up, tightened a nut by hand, and charged me eighty bucks. I felt so dumb I spent the next weekend learning how to replace a whole faucet just to feel better. Now I at least try to wiggle things before I panic and call someone.

charlie38428d ago

My brother-in-law once paid a guy three hundred dollars to come out and replace a garbage disposal. The guy was there maybe forty minutes. I had the same model go out last year, found the exact part number online, and had it swapped in before the football game even started. The instructions were printed right on the side of the unit. Sometimes you just gotta look at the thing and see if it's really that hard.