Why You Shouldn’t Try To Fix A Radiator Yourself
There are a surprising number of issues that you can fix in your home with some basic DIY skills. From squeaky hinges to wonky pictures, there are a few things that you can’t tackle with a simple toolkit. That being said, there are also areas where making a mistake can have serious ramifications, some of them potentially dangerous. While it might seem easy to fix your radiator yourself, here’s why you should call in a local professional such as Able Plumbing in Milton Keynes.
Radiators Aren’t Stand-alone Items
First of all, it’s important to note that radiators aren’t just stand-alone items that work in isolation in your home. They’re part of a larger system, connected to both the water system and, indirectly, the gas system through a series of valves, wires, and pumps.
As a result, anything that you change can have unexpected repercussions on other parts of the system, some of which you probably wouldn’t anticipate without further training. Often, to fix a radiator or heating system, it’s imperative that you understand the system in its entirety, not just one single element of it.
It’s Not Safe
Working on the heating system in your home without proper knowledge and preparation can also be quite dangerous. If you don’t know how to turn the system off, or wait for the water to cool, you could end up with serious burns, either from hot water or from pressurised steam. These burns can be quite serious, and incredibly painful.
You Can Damage Your Home
Most radiators are also connected to the rest of your home’s water system. As a result, tampering with the radiator can result in leaks that are very hard to stop without the proper tools and knowledge. This can potentially result in gallons of water leaking into your home, soaking into carpets and potentially damaging floorboards and joists. The costs of dealing with the water damage will generally be way more than just calling a plumber out in the first place.
You Could Damage The Radiator
The chances are that if your radiator isn’t functioning, there’s an easy fix. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s definitely possible that you could end up seriously damaging the radiator. If it then needs to be replaced, rather than just repaired, you could end up costing yourself a lot more than actually necessary.
Heating Inefficiency
When your radiators aren’t set up properly and maintained, they can significantly reduce heating efficiency. You’ll still be burning heaps of gas, but with water bubbles and other similar issues, you simply won’t be getting enough heat. During the winter months, this can add a substantial sum to your overall heating bill, and can likely be avoided by just a few minutes of work by a plumber.
As you can see, there’s quite a lot that can go wrong if you try to fix a radiator yourself. Even if you don’t hurt yourself or damage your house, you might still end up with a heating system that isn’t working optimally, one that’s costing you more than it needs to in the long run.
