Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!
Are you looking to replace a faucet in your home but unsure if it’s something you can easily do yourself? The truth is that installing a faucet can be a DIY job as long as you have the correct tools and are willing to take the time. Nonetheless, there are still some fairly good reasons why this project is something you should hire a professional for. Let’s look at the main reasons why it’s a good idea to have a professional plumber install your new faucet and also discuss the factors you should consider when choosing a new faucet for your kitchen or bathroom.
While installing a new faucet typically isn’t all that difficult, it still comes with some risks. One is that you could potentially damage the faucet when attempting to install it and have to buy a second one. The bigger concern is that you can end up with a leak if the faucet isn’t installed properly, or you damage either of the water lines when trying to connect the faucet to them.
The second issue is an especially big concern since it can result in a major leak that has the potential to cause extensive water damage in the surrounding area. If you were to damage either of the copper lines that stick out through the wall, your only option to stop the leak would be to close the valve on your main water line and shut off the water to your house. You’d then need to hire a plumber to repair the damage, which will cost you much more than hiring a plumber to handle the installation at the start.
Any reputable plumbing company should fully stand by their work and guarantee that the job will be done correctly. If any issue arises as a result of the faucet installation not being done correctly, the company should fix it at no extra cost to you. Let’s say the plumber accidentally damages the faucet or your sink during the installation. In this case, they should pay to buy a new faucet or repair the sink themselves.
Another thing to consider is the potential implications of doing the job yourself and ending up with a leak. If the leak occurs overnight or you don’t notice it fairly quickly, there’s a high chance that the flooring in the nearby area will start buckling, warping or lifting up. It isn’t always possible to just replace one section of flooring, meaning you may have to completely redo the flooring in your entire kitchen or bathroom.
While your homeowner’s insurance may cover the costs of the repairs, you’d still have to pay your deductible if you decide to file a damage claim. There’s also a decent chance that your insurance company will raise your rates if you file a claim. Depending on your insurance provider, they may even deny your claim because you do the work yourself instead of hiring a professional.
None of these issues are something you’ll need to concern yourself with if you hire a plumbing company that’s fully licensed and insured. If the plumber you hire doesn’t do the work correctly and you end up with a leak that results in water damage, your homeowner’s insurance provider will be able to go after the plumbing company to get them to pay for the necessary repairs. If the plumbing company or their insurance refuses to pay, your insurance provider can then file a lawsuit to force them to pay up. You also shouldn’t have to worry about your insurance rates potentially going up in this situation since your insurance company won’t have to pay for the repairs themselves.
Sometimes, you may just want to install a new faucet to modernize or upgrade the look of your kitchen or bathroom. That said, the main reason why many people opt to install a new faucet is that their existing faucet has an issue like leaking or dripping. The thing is that many common faucet issues are something a plumber can fix fairly easily just by replacing an internal component, like the valve or a washer or rubber O-ring.
That means you may be able to save money by having one of our plumbers first inspect your old faucet and repair whatever issue it has. Based on the age and condition of the faucet, our plumber can also quickly tell you whether it can be repaired and if it’s worth repairing or if you’re better off opting for a replacement.
While look and style are two of the main things you want to consider when deciding on a new faucet, you should also consider other factors. One is to determine which type of faucet you need since they come in a few different configurations. All this requires is looking underneath the back of the sink to see how many holes it has.
One-hole sinks are commonly found in bathrooms and sometimes in kitchens and will only accommodate a single-handle faucet. You can also find kitchen sinks with two holes, which accommodate a single-handle faucet and a secondary attachment like a hand-held sprayer. Three-hole sinks are generally meant to work with dual-handle faucets.
However, some single-handle faucets will also work as long as the base plate is wide enough to cover the two unused holes on either side of the main faucet hole. Four-hole sinks are also fairly common in the kitchen and allow you to use a single- or dual-handle faucet and a separate sprayer in the corner. If you have a four-hole sink and don’t want a separate sprayer, you’ll also need to buy a plug or plate to cover the sprayer hole.
You should also consider the type of valve the faucet has. The valve inside a faucet allows you to turn the water on and off, control the flow rate and adjust the water temperature. A faucet with either a compression or ball valve will usually cost less, but these valves are also more prone to leaking and wear out more quickly.
Faucets with a cartridge valve typically offer the best combination of value and durability. A faucet with a ceramic disc valve is almost always going to be the most expensive option. However, this type of faucet is extremely durable, meaning it should last much longer, be almost completely immune to leaking and rarely, if ever, need to be repaired.
Are you looking for an experienced plumbing or HVAC company in Harrisburg, PA, or the surrounding areas? Ready & Able Plumbing, Heating & Air has been providing reliable home services for Harrisburg and beyond since 1998, and we have what it takes to handle all of your installation, repair and maintenance needs. Whether it’s installing a new faucet or fixing any issues with your AC or heating, give us a call, and let our experts ensure everything is taken care of properly.
Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!