Plumbers work hard every day on a variety of plumbing problems. But do you know what challenges they really face on a daily basis? We fail to think about how important and dangerous their job really is. Plumbers do a lot more than just unclog drains and fix busted pipes. Here are a few things you didn’t know about plumbers and the work they do.
Every Day is a Challenge
No two days are alike in a plumber’s world. One job may be a simple faucet replacement, while the next has them repairing a gas line. Each scenario puts a plumber’s skills to the test which makes them more prepared to handle the next job. Plumbers receive an extensive amount of training and must receive the proper certifications before they can perform most work on your home.
They Can Save You Money
Major plumbing problems can cost you a lot of money…that is if you try to fix it yourself. Attempting to handle any plumbing concern on your own is not only risky, but could cost you more money in the long run. A plumber will produce an estimate for the cost of work and labor. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the estimate or the work being done. The right plumber will answer any and all questions before performing the job.
It’s a Dangerous Job
Most people don’t realize how dangerous a plumber’s job really is. In fact, plumbers face many dangerous situations every day in their line of work. Everything from working to repair a gas leak to facing ruptured pipes could put a plumber’s life at risk.
Kitchens are the Worst
You would think the bathroom would be a plumber’s worst nightmare. However, the kitchen is the least favored room in the house to do repairs. The reason is because the kitchen sink gets used as something it’s not – a garbage can. If plumbers had their way they would change the name of the “garbage disposal” to the “sink disposal”. And grease would be properly disposed of instead of being poured down the drain.
They Can Make your Water Safe to Drink
The water from your faucet may taste fine, but some municipal water systems are not the healthiest. A plumber can install water filter systems or water softeners so you and your family can have pure, clean water at your convenience.
The next time you face a serious plumbing problem call a professional plumber instead of handling it yourself. Trust our staff of highly trained plumbers at ASAP Plumbing the next time you have plumbing issues. We guarantee to get you flowing once again.
Plumbing Is a Long Apprenticeship
The path to becoming a licensed plumber is longer than most people realize. In most states, including Mississippi, the journey starts with classroom work covering plumbing theory, building codes, drainage systems, water supply and gas piping. From there, an apprentice spends thousands of hours working alongside a master plumber on real jobs, learning what the textbook can’t teach. Only after that combination of school and field experience does someone qualify to sit for the licensing exam.
Even after passing the exam and earning a journeyman license, ongoing continuing education is required to keep the license current. The codes change. New materials and methods come into use. The plumber working on your home this year is required to know things that weren’t on the test ten years ago.
Specializations Inside the Trade
Most people picture a single type of plumber, but the trade has multiple specializations that overlap in different ways. Knowing what each one focuses on can help you find the right person for an unusual job:
- Residential plumbers handle the day-to-day work that comes up in homes
- Commercial plumbers work on larger systems with higher demand and stricter code requirements
- Service and repair plumbers focus on existing systems and emergency response
- New construction plumbers install systems from scratch in homes and buildings going up for the first time
- Gas plumbers are specifically trained and certified to work on natural gas and propane systems
- Sewer and drain specialists spend most of their time on the larger waste lines and sewer systems
Many plumbers do all of the above, but understanding the specializations helps when an issue is genuinely unusual.
The Tools Are More Specialized Than You Think
The image of a plumber with just a wrench in their pocket is decades out of date. Modern plumbing relies on a long list of specialized tools, many of them expensive enough that no homeowner would buy them for a one-time use:
- High-resolution waterproof cameras for sewer line inspection
- Acoustic listening devices that detect water leaks behind walls and under slabs
- Thermal imaging cameras that show temperature differences from leaks
- Hydro jetters that clean lines with high-pressure water instead of mechanical snakes
- Pipe locators that find buried lines without digging
- Pressure gauges and electronic gas detectors
- Pipe lining and pipe bursting equipment for trenchless repairs
These tools are part of why a service call costs what it does. The hourly rate covers more than the time on site. It covers the equipment that makes accurate diagnosis and clean repair possible.
Most Calls Are Preventable
Talk to any plumber long enough and they’ll tell you the same thing: a large share of the calls they get could have been avoided with small actions earlier. The most common preventable issues:
- Wipes flushed down toilets, even ones labeled flushable
- Grease poured down the kitchen sink
- Drain cleaners used on lines that needed mechanical cleaning instead
- Outdoor spigots left connected to hoses during a freeze
- Trees planted directly above sewer lines
- Old supply lines never replaced until they fail
- Water heaters never flushed, with sediment building up year after year
Most of those are five-minute habits or one-time small projects. They prevent the kind of weekend emergency that always seems to strike when no one wants to see a plumber.
Plumbers See the History of a Home in the Pipes
An experienced plumber can often tell when a home was built and when it was renovated just by looking at the pipes. Galvanized steel, copper, PEX, PVC and CPVC each had their era of common use. Mixed materials in different sections show where past owners did partial replacements. The fittings, valves and trap configurations all tell a story.
Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, this gets even more interesting. Hurricanes, flooding and storm damage have prompted countless repairs and partial rebuilds in homes across Gulfport, Biloxi, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis. A plumber walking through one of these older homes can usually point out which sections were redone after Katrina, which after a more recent storm and which still date back to the original build. That history matters when planning future maintenance.
Contact ASAP Plumbing today at 228-865-2727 or visit www.plumbinggulfportms.com and request a free estimate! We can handle all your plumbing needs including installation, repair and full water heater replacement.