The internet makes getting information so much easier these days. Its great for answering questions straight away, but sometimes the answers that come up aren’t necessarily correct.
For example, when I was pregnant I would search Dr Google for any weird symptoms that I was experiencing. Funny enough, every time I went to my doctor and told him what I’d read he’d reassure me that what I read wasn’t quite correct and gave me the right info.
When it comes to plumbing, Google seems to be the first place people search to work out what is causing the problem and how to fix it. The article that gets the highest traffic on my blog is ‘When your tap won’t turn OFF’. It is one of the most typed plumbing maintenance questions on Google. The thing is though, Google isn’t a plumber.
I write my blog from female plumber’s point of view. Many plumbers can relate to my posts. Many readers learn something new about the world of plumbing. It is not a blog that will tell you how to fix your plumbing problems because by law they are to be rectified by a licensed plumber. As a licensed plumber I can tell you why you have the problem.
YouTube is also a great resource for do-it-yourself handy work because you just follow the video but while it may look easy on the screen, doing it can open up a can of worms.
Take for instance changing tap washers. It is one of the easiest jobs a plumber can do (providing the plumber can get to the washer). What a lot of people don’t realize is that when washers get replaced, the taps need to be reseated too. Reseating a tap isn’t as easy as it looks. Reseating too low damages the tap and will require the whole basin tap combo replaced, reseating not enough can cause unevenness on the seat and the washer won’t sit flush meaning the tap will still continue to run. Have I lost you with this explanation? See, it’s not as easy as you think.
So the next time you have a plumbing problem at your house, don’t search Google for the cause or a quick fix. Search Google for the number of your local plumber who can fix the problem for you.
