How do I know if I should call a plumber?
In general, especially in an emergency, most homeowners struggle with when to call a handyman/appliance repair technician versus calling a licensed plumber. Generally, when the operation or general use of an appliance starts to grow worse and worse, it is likely to be a job for an appliance repair person.
When there is a problem bringing water or gas to an appliance or bringing waste away from an appliance, you probably need to call a licensed plumber. If you see an appliance start to back up, the waste pipe is most likely plugged, and if you see water on the floor or under a cabinet, the water pipes are most likely the problem.
Dishwashers
In general, dishwashers send their wastewater through the same system as the kitchen sink. If the kitchen sink is clogged, then the dishwasher is not going to empty correctly. The dishwasher will not be able to send the wastewater through the pipe, and the kitchen sink will start filling up with water.
Even though the dishwasher seems like it is the cause, it is the kitchen waste line that is plugged. A licensed plumber will have all the right fittings and parts to repair the problem.
A plumber also will install the correct water supply stops and install the dishwasher with enough slack in the lines to be able to pull the whole unit out for future repairs.
Ranges
If there is no gas coming to your range and you cannot get it to light, you should call your plumber. Also, if you smell gas, there is a problem with your range.
We would not recommend a handyman to connect the gas to a range. We have seen many cases where a problem has been “fixed” and St Paul Pipeworks came in to find a leaking gas line.
There are a lot of pipe threads that can be confusing to the repair person. A licensed plumber will know all of the fittings that will ensure a proper installation.
Refrigerator Water Dispensers and Icemakers
A refrigerator does not have a pipe that leads wastewater away. It has an evaporator so that the small amount of excess water from the icemaker or water dispenser goes into an evaporator tray.
Your refrigerator does not have a plumbing waste pipe from it. It only has a water supply to it, and almost always, if you are having trouble with a water dispenser or an icemaker in a refrigerator, it is generally an appliance repair person who can fix it for you.
If you are not getting water to the appliance itself, then a plumber is needed. We would recommend that you hire a licensed plumber to plumb the main water supply to the refrigerator.
The most common problem that we see when a handyman does the original plumbing is that they will use a self-piercing saddle valve to tap into the pipe; those valves fail easily.
St Paul Pipeworks cuts the pipe and inserts a Tee into the pipe to ensure full flow to the valve. Also, when we are installing water supply and icemaker lines, we like to put the shutoff valve on the same floor of the house as the refrigerator for convenience.
If you are having a problem with any of your appliances or are just looking for a quality plumber in the St. Paul and Minneapolis metro area, give St Paul Pipeworks a call today.
Yours Truly, Matthew Dettwiler Social Media Manager
