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Dads can fix everything. They fix broken toys, broken fences, and broken hearts. Great dads are always there when you need a laugh or a hug.
As perfect as dads seem, sometimes they make mistakes too. Despite their best efforts, sometimes home improvement projects get the best of them.
To honor handy dads this Father’s Day, let’s look at some plumbing fixes that can go wrong when dad tries to take care of the honey-do list without hiring a professional.
Toilet Installation Troubles
If your bathroom floor is uneven, installing a new toilet is difficult. Tiled floors are especially challenging for first-timers.
Professional plumbers have tricks that they use to level the toilet so that the wax ring seals correctly, but a plumbing dad might not have ways to correctly even out the fixture.
Handy dads shouldn’t ignore uneven floors and install fixtures anyway. Using a wobbly toilet will be a little awkward, and over time, the wax ring seal will degrade. Without a proper wax seal, the toilet can leak.
Everyone knows that wobbly toilets are no good, but if your dad’s solution is to tighten the floor bolts as much as he can to level it, you’re in for trouble. It might cure the wobble, but it puts too much pressure on the floor beneath the fixture and the porcelain bowl.
Over time, both the tile floor and the porcelain could crack. In conditions that are less than perfect, it’s best to ask a professional to install a new toilet so that it doesn’t spring leaks in the months and years to come.
Water Leak Woes
Duct tape has a lot of great uses. It’s perfect for patching holes in tents, for temporarily repairing a loose pant hem, and for curing warts. It’s no wonder that it’s dad’s favorite tool, no matter the job.
However, duct tape is not the right tool to fix a water leak. Leaks can cause serious damage in a short amount of time. If dad seals a leaky pipe with duct tape and then walks away, he’s making a big mistake.
If the cause of the leak is high pressure in the pipe, then ignoring the symptom will only exacerbate the problem. The water pressure will continue to rise until it finally becomes so high that the pipe bursts, which is a much bigger repair than the original leak.
Even if the problem is just a small crack in the pipe, the tape won’t solve the problem for long. Water can ruin wooden cabinets, drywall behind the cabinets, and floors in no time. If it persists long enough, it can run up your water bill and lead to mold and mildew. It’s best to solve the problem permanently and right away before it becomes a nightmare to clean up.
Drain Snaking Damage
Inexperienced plumbing dad can cause a lot of unintentional damage if he tries to snake a drain himself. A home’s plumbing needs to be in good shape to withstand the pressure created by the snake, so professional plumbers inspect the pipes before beginning.
If the pipes deep inside your walls are not strong enough, they can clear clogs with different methods, or they can replace old pipes. If your dad dives right in and starts snaking without checking the pipes, he can create problems that are much bigger than a clog.
Old, weak pipes can collapse from improper snaking. If the water suddenly starts to flow well, it could be because the pipe collapsed, and the water is now flowing freely out of it into your walls and floors. Avoid costly repairs by calling a professional at the first sign of a leak.
Lessons from Dad
Repairs that involve water require an experienced hand because one misstep can lead to major damage. We’re continually learning new things from our dads, and sometimes what we learn is that we can’t do everything alone.
One of the best lessons our dads can teach us is how to find a trustworthy professional to help with tricky plumbing problems.
