I've had a few DIY plumbing fixes actually hold up surprisingly well. Had a tenant once who swore by epoxy putty—he patched a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink, and I figured it'd last maybe a week tops. Checked it months later, still bone dry. But then again, I've also seen my fair share of "creative" solutions turn into midnight floods...so your mileage may vary.
Had a similar experience with epoxy putty myself—worked great on a bathroom sink leak for months. But honestly, after a friend's DIY fix burst overnight and flooded their basement...I tend to call in a pro for anything beyond minor drips. Better safe than sorry, imo.
I've been wondering about epoxy putty too—heard mixed things. Your friend's basement flooding sounds like a nightmare though, definitely makes me second-guess going DIY for anything serious. As someone new to homeownership, I'm still figuring out where the line is between "I can handle this" and "time to call a pro." Do you think there's a good rule of thumb for when it's safe to DIY plumbing fixes? I'd love to hear how others decide...
"Do you think there's a good rule of thumb for when it's safe to DIY plumbing fixes?"
Honestly, my rule is simple: if water's spraying or pooling faster than I can Google solutions, it's pro time. Learned that the hard way—trust me, soggy socks aren't worth the DIY pride...
My rule's usually: Can I fix it confidently in under an hour with basic tools? If yes, DIY. If not, call someone who knows what they're doing. Learned early on that plumbing issues escalate fast... a small leak can become a flooded basement quicker than you'd imagine. Plus, tenants don't exactly appreciate it when their shower turns ice cold because you wanted to save a few bucks. Better safe than sorry, right?
