Mark Roemer Oakland image of a person fixing the plumbing in their home.

Essential Safety for Home Plumbing Projects

I, Mark Roemer Oakland, believe it is crucial to take plumbing safety and precautions seriously before starting any plumbing projects. In fact, whether you are performing a DIY plumbing repair at your home or hiring a team of professionals for a home plumbing disaster, every person involved in the work should be aware of all the plumbing safety protocols, and rules, and follow them to diligently ensure the project becomes a success without the emergence of any trouble or disaster.

Here are a few tips you can follow to ensure safety when working on home plumbing projects:

1. Wear eye protection – When working on a plumbing project, you need to work with various tools such as a drill, hammer, reciprocating saw, and more that can pose a risk to your eyes. Additionally, exposure to contaminants such as sewage or drain gunk splashing on your eyes can damage your eyes or lead to temporary blindness.

That is why it is crucial to wear protective eye gear so that you can stay protected and work on plumbing problems without any worries. In fact, you should ensure that the plumbing team you hire always follows the appropriate protective measure to keep their team safe and protect you from any liability when working on your property.

2. Use the tools properly – Plumbing tools and equipment come in various types of and forms every one of them can pose a health hazard when used inappropriately by an amateur. Thus, if you perform DIY plumbing jobs at home, you must learn how to use the plumbing tools and pieces of equipment you own properly.

For instance, drilling holes for pipes with a ½ inc drill is a common hazard and you have to ensure the drill or cutter doesn’t get bound during the operation. It is also necessary to use a heat shield when soldering pipes.

Additionally, it is essential to check the condition of every tool and equipment and keep them in good condition for safety. Using a bad-quality tool without checking whether it is safe to use is a recipe for disaster.

3. Shut off the water – It is important to thoroughly check the water supplies and shut off the connection to the water line when you need to repair or do any other type of work that involves the water connection. Otherwise, simply turning a decorative knob or cap can flood your bathroom or kitchen due to the pressurized water.

You might have to consult with the managing authorities or the owners to ask for permission to turn off the water supply connection before starting the work.

4. Wear hand protection – It is common for plumbers to get into contact with chemicals and other materials that can harm their skin or body on contact. Wearing high-quality protective hand gear helps to protect them while working and allows them to do their job safely.

It is suggested you wear a layer of latex gloves under a pair of leather gloves to experience additional protection and stay protected from the germs found in the drain line. The leather gloves should be durable enough to not get cut easily.

5. Open the drain carefully – A significant amount of pressure can build up inside drains when it gets clogged and it can cause the contents of the pipe to relapse towards the low pressure zone created when a drain parts are opened for inspection or cleaning.

Thus, plumbers should be aware of where the contents of the pipe will drain out to ensure it does accidentally create a mess in the kitchen or bathroom and deliver a high-quality plumbing experience. If you are trying to clean a clogged drain pipe using your DIY skills, you should not casually open drain parts without analyzing the direction of the flow first.

6. Wear lung protection – Lung protection is equally important as hand and eye protection for anybody working on a plumbing project. A high-quality face mask can prevent the dust and harmful air particles generated while using drill machines and other plumbing equipment and keep their lungs safe.

Sawing and sanding of pipes also release airborne particles. Not to mention, there is always a risk of a burst pipe or gas leak which can cause significant harm to the lungs. If you don’t have the appropriate lung, face, hand, or leg protection at home, it can be foolish to risk your health instead of hiring plumbing professionals.

7. Be sure to follow the building and plumbing code requirements – Ignoring plumbing and building code requirements can lead to trouble in the future and is not recommended at all.

For instance, leaving a vacuum breaker in the water supply line can contaminate the drinking water.

Thus, you should familiarize yourself with all the building plumbing code requirements and ensure you understand them all before working on any home plumbing projects.

8. Be aware of the surroundings – Paying attention to your surroundings can save you a lot of trouble and prevent accidents from happening while working on any plumbing project. For instance, you should never cut or drill in a floor cavity, wall, or ceiling before confirming the presence or absence of electrical wiring, plumbing pipes, and other ductwork.

In fact, you should avoid electrical wiring at all costs to prevent accidents and injuries. Also, you never try to work in confined spaces since it increases the risk of accidents. Also, it is also necessary to be aware of all the plumbing systems in the area.

I, Mark Roemer Oakland, suggest you hire the help of an experienced helper even if you have excellent DIY skills and a passion for working on home plumbing projects. It can make your job immensely easier and keep an eye out for signs of troubles that you may fail to notice while working. If you are not aware of how to use various types of plumbing tools and equipment or are not familiar with the proper safety rules, you should not take any unnecessary risks and leave the job to professional plumbers.