With the current state of the world and social distancing measures in place, you may have noticed many of your friends and family picking up new skills or learning new things. Some have taken up sewing to help their communities by providing non-medical grade masks. Others are learning new languages for when it is safe to travel again. As many businesses have been closed, though, you may have begun to dabble in making your own home repairs as a project to occupy your time, or because you don’t want non-family members in your house.

As a homeowner, it’s always a good idea to become familiar with the parts of your home to make sure you can recognize a problem if one arises, and make simple repairs if needed. However, there are always a few areas that should be left to the experts, like electrical work and plumbing.

Of course, this rule doesn’t apply to every situation. For example, replacing an overhead light isn’t the same as installing a new power outlet. Here are a few situations in plumbing where you can do it yourself if you have the skills and tools:

• Replacing a sink faucet or shower head
• Fixing a running toilet
• Unclogging shower and tub drains
• Recaulking your shower or tub
• Minor repairs to a garbage disposal

These tasks are all relatively simple, and won’t likely lead to bigger issues unless something REALLY goes wrong. It’s the bigger, more complicated tasks that can lead to home damage if done incorrectly. Unless you have the knowledge and training, leave these tasks up to the professionals:

• Sewage issues
• Remodeling projects and new appliance and fixture installations (including hot water heaters)
• Pipe leaks and repairs
• Shower and tub valve replacement
• Replacing a sink or tub, particularly into a different location
• Any work that requires a permit
• Water line repairs

It can be tempting to make these changes on your own, but one misstep can turn a relatively small problem into a major one. If you are ready to call in the experts for one of the reasons listed above, RLB Services is here to help! Contact us at (703) 330-0400 to find out more about our residential plumbing services.