Your home is your comfort, your abode. Your piece of paradise, if you will. This is why it is necessary for your home to be fitted with the best fixtures, whether they be lighting or water. Keeping it in tip-top condition is a definite prerequisite to a comfortable home. But, not just comfort, the safety of its occupants is also of prime importance.
That’s why your plumbing system required regular maintenance and check-ups to make sure it is working well and working fine. It can only be checked, of course, by experts. So people will usually call up their local plumber or hire a plumbing service to conduct a thorough investigation into their pipes and water fixtures to determine that they are working well.
Londoners know the importance of a good plumbing system, which is why some of the best plumbers in London are in high demand.
Below we have detailed all you need to know about the profession, how to make sure that your plumbing system is looked after by a (real) expert, and what to look for when searching for a plumber.
Plumbing service companies
There are plenty of companies offering plumbing services. As plumbing problems will inevitably strike homes at some point, plumbing crews offer a wide range of services. Some of these include:
- Detecting leaks and repairing them
Leaks are the most common source of problems for households. They can range from a leaking faucet to a garden hose that won’t stop or a shower head that will keep leaking long after it has been turned off. Ignoring the issue might just end up costing you more money in the long term.
Almost all plumbing services offer leak detection and repair services. Expert plumbers can detect minor leaks that may lead to major problems in the future.
- Drain unclogging
Irregular or lack of cleaning drains can lead to a build-up of debris in them, and this can turn into a nightmare once your sink refuses to drain out or the toilet refuses to flush. Good plumbing services offer emergency unclogging and regular cleaning services to keep your sinking draining smoothly.
- Inspection and maintenance
Although we think it might be a waste of time, annual inspections are a great way to find issues ahead of time and get them solved by the experts. So have the pipes in your home inspected at least once a year to ensure they remain clog-free and undamaged.
Cost of regular maintenance in the company
The cost of getting a regular or even emergency service plumber can range from $170-$500, depending on the service and the company you call for.
The costs incurred for plumbing maintenance also depends on a couple of factors:
- Your house location
- Time used for the job
- How simple or complex of a job it was
- Emergency or normal job
If you require emergency services, or call for the service during a weekend, holiday, or out of normal business hours, these can cost you more.
Certain businesses charge on an hourly basis or on a total time taken basis. Please speak with the plumber or the company beforehand to find out their rates.
How to find a (real) expert
There are plenty of plumbers and corresponding service companies available. However, a new phenomenon has been noticed lately. A plumber will show up, spent a couple of minutes tinkering and toiling, and then present homeowners with a large bill. These bills can even reach up to $1000!
And the worst part is that they don’t even solve the issue properly. So, how can you make sure that the plumber you call is real and not just a scam?
Simple. Just follow these guidelines:
- Get a recommended plumber
If a family member or friend has a recommended plumber that they are familiar with, these are the best option to go to. Since they are already well-known to your friend, they can be trusted to get the job done and not charge you stupendously for it.
- Physical office
A well-established plumbing service will have an office that you can visit. Ask the company if they have a location you can visit to inquire about their services. These plumbers will not leave you hanging in the middle of maintenance.
- Ask for references
When calling the company, ask them for previous customer details. They can share the phone numbers of previous customers, who you can call up and inquire regarding the service, and how good of a job they do. If they refuse to do, we suggest you call up another company.
- Insurance coverage
A reputed company will offer you insurance coverage in case something goes wrong during the servicing or after. This can help protect you from financial damages and your neighbours too.
- Registered company
Find out if they are registered to a trusted trading body or an institute. These require companies registered under them to follow the rules and codes of conduct. It also makes it easier for you to get any grievances addressed that show up after the service. So contact the trading body to find out if they are registered with them, just to be on the safe side.
Plumbing systems are what make modern homes different from older versions. Thus they are also the most important system that keeps the house going and require regular maintenance and repair.
