With many professional trades services such as plumbing, there are restrictions in place to determine what you can and cannot do yourself. What you can and can’t do is more than a recommendation; it’s bound by the law and Australian Regulations. In fact, most household plumbing work, including sink, toilet, gas, and charged stormwater system repairs need to be handled by a licensed tradesperson.
It is useful to be more informed to benefit the safety of your plumbing and gas system. It is also likely to save you dollars – the cost of getting something repaired after you’ve tried to DIY will outweigh the cost of calling a plumber in the first place.
Here, we’ll take you through the DIY plumbing options you could attempt, as well as the DIY-don’ts.
DIY Plumbing Tips: What you can do yourself
DIY Plumbing guide for water plumbing
When it comes to water plumbing, you can do the following tasks on your own:
- Replacing a jumper valve or washer in a tap
- Changing showerheads
- Installing or maintaining irrigation systems downstream from an isolating valve, tap or backflow prevention device on the supply pipe for the irrigation system
For sanitary plumbing, you are allowed to:
- Clean or maintain ground level grates to traps on sanitary drains
- Replace caps to ground level inspection openings on sanitary drains
- Maintain an above or below ground irrigation system for the disposal of effluent from an on-site sewerage facility
Now that you know what DIY Plumbing is allowed, here is what you can’t attempt yourself.
DIY Plumbing Tips: What you can’t do yourself
Any work that interacts directly with the installation of your drinking water system or sewerage requires a licensed plumber. This is Australian Law. If your problem or project involves gas, hot water or sewer systems, you are also not allowed to intervene yourself, it is time to call a professional plumber.
DIY Plumbing in Australia
To avoid aggravating the situation in the event of leakage or water damage, it is often necessary to call a plumber instead of attempting a DIY method. This professional intervenes on all the problems in connection with the circuit of distribution of water, but also of gas and compressed air.
If you are installing a stormwater tank, professional plumbers can advise you on the minimum depth of stormwater pipes. Many individuals are reluctant to hire a professional plumber because of the cost of the services, however, a simple mistake during a DIY project may cost a lot more than the plumber service itself.
Your plumber can also intervene in the event of a heating failure, to find the cause of the breakdown, to repair your installation and to make the necessary modifications to assure him optimal performances.
Even if you feel confident in your trades skills, attempting to DIY any of these jobs can be dangerous. Costs will include paying the plumber to fix the problems you created in the first place, and potentially a hefty fine. The relevant regulations for plumbing for NSW fall under the Plumbing and Drainage Act NSW 2011. Section 4 states that the only work you should be undertaking yourself is repairing taps or showerheads; everything else should be left to the professionals. Section 6 notes that the only people that can complete plumbing and drainage work are the ones authorised under the Home Building Act 1989.
How to hire the right professional plumber service?
When you choose to hire a plumber, here are a few tips on hiring the best plumber for you:
- Are they licensed?
- Do they have the relevant qualifications?
- Do they have the relevant insurance?
- Check their Oneflare profile. How many reviews do they have? What do they say?
Checking these four things will make sure you make the right connection to the best plumber in your area.