30 secrets your plumber won’t tell you

Pay me by the job, not by the hour. This is one of the most important plumbing tips you can remember.

Yes, it’s against the rules to remove flow inhibitors from your showerheads, but some of us will do it if you ask.

I’m not a babysitter, a mover or an auto mechanic. Don’t ask for advice on things that aren’t in my job description. However, we’ll help you out this one time.

Always jiggling the toilet handle? You need to replace the flap valve. The part costs $4, and it’s an easy fix. I charge $100 just to walk in the door.

There’s often an Allen key that comes with the garbage disposal. I keep it under the sink. When the thing jams, follow the directions in the manual, and I won’t need to come out. Another plumbing tip, don’t believe the myth about putting lemon peels in the disposal to make it smell better. That will just make it jam faster.

Here are some other DIY errors to avoid at all costs. 

I was working in one bathroom while my client was using the spa bath in another one. And blow-drying her hair at the same time. Her husband had told her it was fine. I told her he was trying to get rid of her.

Looking for an easy way to figure out why your water bill is mysteriously high? Shut off all fixtures, including the valve on your hot water tank. If the numbers on your meter keep moving, call a plumber – you might have sprung a hidden leak inside a wall or under flooring.

Don’t hang clothes on those exposed pipes in your basement. I’ve seen them break and flood a basement.

I see this all the time: Women want a new toilet seat and ask their husbands to make the switch. If the seat is old and has metal bolts, you probably need to cut it off with a hacksaw, not unscrew it. A wrench may slip, damaging the bowl and bloodying your knuckles.

“Sure, my material cost is different than the guy who runs his business out of his garage,” says licensed plumber Bill Stevens. “But it’s not the copper you’re paying for, it’s the experience. At the end of the day, my material cost is between 25-30 percent of the cost of the job.”