How To Choose A Suitable Plumber
One of the biggest concerns with the plumbing in your home is the person you choose to come and fix the problems with it. A plumber can be a detective as well as a handyman, and you need to make sure you hire one before you have a problem so that you aren't flipping through the phone book while your home is beginning to flood. Here are a few tips that will assist you in choosing a suitable plumber for your home.
Think About Your Money
It's important that you take the time to seriously consider your budget. You don't want money to be your only consideration, but you need to make sure that if you have a problem, you have a plumber who fits into your budget. There is no reason that you can't find two or three reasonably priced plumbers in your area. Now is the time to call, before you have a crisis and have to settle for anyone.
Find Out Experience
Where did a plumber get trained? How long ago was that? Has the plumber taken any classes or continued his education in any way? These are the questions you need to have answered by any plumber you consider. At first glance you may not think these questions are important, but they have a lot to do with the way a plumber approaches his work. Even in plumbing, there are always new products and new ways to take care of old problems. If you have a plumber who knows how to take care of your solar water heater, for example, you've got a good guy.
You also want to know how long your plumber has been working in the field. It's obvious that you want someone who has more experience, but a novice might be better trained about newer tools, equipments and methods that can get the job done too.
Choose An Individual Or A Large Company
When you set out to find a plumber, you have a lot of choices. There are the small shops, run by one or a few plumbers, but you also have the huge franchises like Roto-Rooter. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and you need to think about those before you choose a plumber.
A franchise for a major corporation usually has more manpower, which means that you can reach anyone at almost any time. In addition, their prices may be lower. Not only that, but they have standards in their hiring practices, so you know you're getting a plumber with a certain level of expertise.
However, a small shop run by just one plumber can do as good a job. Their prices might be lower too, depending on the competition in the area. He may have relationships with suppliers that a franchise may not have, and therefore pass that savings on to you.
Plumbing is something that you can do yourself every now and then, but sooner or later you are going to need a plumber. Don't wait until you're in a panic to use these tips and hire a plumber that will be able to help you.
