Sink or swim: Knowing when to do-it-yourself or when to call in the plumber

"If guys think they can do it themselves, they'll try to do it themselves," the owner of Foulk Bros. Plumbing & Heating said, smiling. "Wives will sometime call us the next day, asking us to repair the stuff their husbands tried to 'fix.'" 

Foulk said while certain things (like fixing a faucet, repairing a toilet or changing out fixtures) are often within a person's comfort zone, other jobs are best left to the professionals.

"Chances are a guy's 'comfort zone' isn't being flat on his back, underneath a heavy sink," he reasoned.

That's why Foulk has some tips for die-hard do-it-yourselfers hoping to fix a faucet.

Tip #1

Choose the right faucet

"The most expensive thing in your house may end up being a cheap faucet," Foulk said. "It won't do you any good if you need to replace it all the time."

That's why he recommends investing in a faucet that comes with standard parts. This will help you if a company goes out of business or discontinues a line, making your faucet obsolete.

Most new faucets also require you to do some assembly before mounting it to your sink. If that's the case, follow the manufacturer's directions carefully.

Tip #2

Having the tools of the trade

You can't do the work if you don't have the tools, right?

That's especially true for plumbing jobs.

"Plumbing is becoming increasingly technical," Foulk admitted. "That means things will last longer and equipment is becoming much more complicated to fix."

This is why he recommends investing in a quality basin wrench -- an adjustable wrench that can reach into the deep, dark, hard-to-get-at-parts of your sink.

Tip #3

Picking the proper piping

"Sioux City has many older homes," Foulk said. "It's always a mystery to see what's hiding in the pipes."

Often times, it's heavily-corroded copper piping, since he said "our community has extremely hard water."

That's why Foulk prefers to work with plastic piping.

"Plastic is less expensive and easier to work with than copper." he said, though his business still uses plenty of copper piping.

Tip #4

Give yourself enough time

"Do not start a faucet project at 5 p.m. Sunday, expecting it can all be done quickly," Foulk said.  "Installing a faucet will take three or four hours. If you have a problem, you want to know there's someone around with the right answers."

That's especially true when the guy with the right answers happens to be a plumber.

"I think guys are just hard-wired to want to do things themselves," Foulk said. "Some will be successful while others will be better off calling a plumber to do it for them."

"There's nothing wrong with calling the professionals," he added. "It may be cheaper and safer in the long run."