Copyright (c) 2010 Gerry Stringer

Now that retail giants in the league of Home Depot and Lowe's are not only offering tools and materials, but now they offer "we can help" campaigns and classes and training seminars on home projects and nearly every city has an "Ask the Expert" call-in radio program on home improvement and cable and public television airwaves are replete with home remodeling programs, Do-It-Yourself, or simply DIY is a growing industry. Most people fancy themselves as "handy" especially home owners of older homes who have acquired a certain level of handyman expertise out of necessity.

What has really fueled the popularity of DIY movement, however, is the Internet where searchers can find detailed instructions and demonstration videos from thousands of sources for any project imaginable.

For instance, more than 4 million results were garnered in mere second when searching the web for DIY plumbing with results ranging from training and demonstrations, DIY-savvy tips, experienced handymen, a host of licensed plumbers, DIY network groups, plumbing trade associations and plumbing suppliers. The web is like an instant college of plumbing for virtually every type of plumbing project in any home.

DIY plumbing can obviously save a homeowner money, not to mention deliver the satisfaction of a job well done. There would not be nearly the volume of busy professional plumbers throughout the country if it was that simple. In fact, professional plumbers report that as much as 30% of their calls end up being for projects a DIYer couldn't complete, and often by the time the professional is called in the plumbing issue has become much more difficult or, worse, disastrous.

After all, it's not easy to become a plumber. For example, in Colorado a plumber has to apprentice with a licened plumber for 3,400 hours or two years to qualify for Residential Plumber licensure. Then to be qualified as a Journeyman Plumber, it requires 6,800 hours or four hours of practical experience, and to achieve the next level, a Master Plumber, requires a minimum of five years of practical experience. Most other states have similar requirements.

As a homeowner, however, it is permissible under most state statutes, Colorado included, to perform plumbing projects without the intervention of a licensed plumber. HOwever, the homeowner is still responsible for drawing a plumbing permit either from one of 26 city/county jurisdictions or the state for all but the simplest projects and then plumbing inspectors must approve the work - before sealing up walls, floors, etc.

Plumbers recommend that simple projects, like minor clogged drains, repairing running toilets or installing new ones, even replacing the piping under a sink, can be handled successfully by the DIY plumber. However, on more serious projects they advise it would be prudent to call in a professional.

For instance, there are many DIY guides on the internet for installing a garbage disposer, for instance. Plumbing services professionals, however, point out that the job entails more than just clamping the new disposer into the bottom of a sink and hooking up the drain pipe. These disposers are often also connected to dishwasher, and they are by nature connected to the electrical power supply. The intricacy involved, especially considering the electrical hookup and the proximity of water, makes this job potentially dangerous.

Then the job is fraught with peril when inevitably a fixture that is not readily accessible, like a shower or tub fixture where pipping is in the walls, needs to be replaced. Plumbing professionals are used to working in tight spaces, and they point out that a repair or installation done incorrectly may lead to water damage that won't show up right away. Many DIYers, the say, don't discover a problem with their work until the water starts to leak through the ceiling of the floor below.

DIY plumbing can be a rewarding endeavor -- if the homeowner is aware of his or her limitations. On the Internet a homeowner can find all of the "how-to" guides for every type of plumbing project, from major installations to minor repairs, but the pros caution that for the more complicated jobs it just might be cheaper to have the job done professionally.