Health and safety concerns are extremely important when taking on plumbing tasks. In addition to basic safety measures, such as wearing protective clothing and safety goggles and dust masks when appropriate, there are also a number of other health and safety considerations which are specific to plumbing.

Basic Safety Precautions

Of course, one of the main things you can do to insure your health and safety is never to take on any project that you are not totally knowledgeable about. Instead, leave these types of plumbing tasks to a professional. Secondly, if you have manufacturer’s instructions which must be followed, make sure you understand them completely, and follow them exactly to avoid problems. It is also extremely important to follow all safety precautions as well as all regulations when dealing with any type of plumbing that is used in conjunction with electricity. Always keep in mind that electrical appliances can still store a charge even after they have been disconnected from their power source, so this charge must be safely discharged. For the sake of safety, rubber-soled shoes should be worn, and all tools should be held by their insulated handles. If you need to touch surfaces such as pipes, metal bracings or other conductive surfaces, you should always make sure they are safe first.

Plumbing Job Safety Precautions

It is important to remember that a do-it-yourself homeowner must follow the same regulations and controls as a plumber. If you are not completely familiar with the regulations and requirements, which are put in effect to protect public health and safety, you should instead hire a professional plumber to do the job. Failure to comply with all regulations is not only dangerous, but could also lead to fines and penalties. Incorrectly installed plumbing can cause a multitude of problems, from leaks that can cause serious water damage in the home, to allowing polluted water to backflow into your home’s water supply.

Plumbing Safety and Health Hazards

Plumbing can be a hazardous job for those who are not completely familiar with the processes, and for those who do not take adequate safety precautions while they are working. It is important to be familiar with any safety precautions that factor in to the use of products commonly used by such as the solder, solvents and adhesives. Protective gear should always be worn when using hazardous materials. It is also important to avoid any exposure to raw sewage, and to carefully wash your hands and all equipment if it is possible that they came in contact with sewage or any other hazardous substances. Because plumbing work is often done on wet surfaces, wearing shoes with rubber soles is important. Shoes should also have protective toes to help prevent against injury if heavy objects such as pipes or tools are dropped.

When working in confined areas, be careful that gases such as hydrogen sulfide, which can be produced by the decomposition of sewage, doesn’t build up, and that the work area always has a sufficient supply of oxygen. Care should always be taken when working with pipes that could contain steam or hot water, and eye or face shields and insulated gloves should be used. Care should always be taken when working on metal pipes, due to the danger of electrical charges, and any power tools which are used should be certified for use in wet environments.

Olivia Reynolds has written many articles about building, construction and home improvement having worked in the industry for

Is your wife always hassling you to call a plumber to fix every little plumbing issue around the house? What she does not realize is that yes, a lot of plumbing issues require professionals coming in to fix the problems, but smaller issues really can be handled without paying someone else to do it.

Things that usually do require professionals are things like getting a new water heater or installing a new toilet. The more obvious things like getting a new water or sewer line of course must also be done by a professional. Attempting these things on your own could lead to big mistakes that end up costing big money for you. And they could have all been avoided by hiring a professional plumbing contractor.

Now, although those problems need to be handled by licensed plumbers, there are some plumbing issues that can be handled right at home without calling in a pro.

Here are two of the easiest plumbing jobs that you can do on your own:

Snaking a Drain- Alright, so your shower drain is clogged. It is probably no surprise to you how it has become clogged; it is usually because there is a build up of hair in the pipes that is causing the water to back up in the shower and then drain ever so slowly leaving you ankle deep in your shampoo run off.

You can purchase a snake at any home improvement store, and some grocery stores are even starting to carry them. Often times pulling out that bath tub stopper, inserting the snake as far as you can, and then pulling it out a few times will clear your clogged drain.

Do not be surprised though that when you pull up on that snake, you are going to bring with you a disgusting, wet, soapy mass of hair that will not be pretty to look at.

Unclogging a Toilet- Unclogging a toilet is definitely something that can be done at home. Teach your wife how to use a plunger properly, and also teach the practice of unclogging a toilet using hot water and dish soap. Tell her to boil a big pot of water on the stove, put a liberal amount of dish soap into her toilet bowl, and then slowly pour the boiling water into the bowl. The dish soap lubricates the clogged material, and the boiling water pushes it all down.

Teaching these two skills could save you money and save you another time of your wife nagging you about calling a plumber.

Ana Fraser is the manager at Clog Pro and has years of experience in the plumbing industry in both Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington. If you’re ever searching for Plumbing Portland OR, or for Portland Oregon Plumbers, make sure to check out her website and consider her for your plumbing and clogged drain needs!

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