Why Hire a Pro for a Simple Appliance Installation?
Whether you're looking to install a new washing machine, or stove, or garbage disposal, should you hire a professional? Today, we're going to look at when it's more reasonable to hire a pro than to do it yourself. Here are some considerations:
Appliance cost
The cost of the appliance will sometimes determine who installs it. When you don't want someone to break that brand new $3500 Samsung Family Hub refrigerator, a professional is the right option. A handy neighbor can scratch the finish or break the appliance entirely and so shouldn't be your first choice.
To avoid the possibility of damage to your home
Scratches, dents, and outright breakage can happen easily during an installation. Be careful who you allow to perform an appliance installation.
When connecting a new appliance, every interaction with existing plumbing or electrical structures can cause damage. So, for example, when replacing a showerhead, there is only interaction with the shower arm. While a person can get a little heavy-handed, damage the water supply pipe behind the wall, and cause a nasty leak in the wall, this doesn't happen often. A dishwasher installation, however, requires interface with multiple parts of the existing plumbing. Meaning, the more complex the job, the more opportunities there will be for existing pipes and valves to be broken and wiring to be damaged.
When a homeowner doesn't want the newly installed appliance to leak, having a professional installation is a better option. When it's in an area like the outdoors, it isn't as important as it is in the house, where flooding or fire could do some significant damage.
Difficulty of installation
The difficulty of installation isn't confined to large, unwieldy appliances. It can also apply to smaller, but complicated installations or those which can be unsightly if not done right. Some devices require specialized tools. If the appliance is in a hard-to-reach place such as beneath the sink (garbage disposal!), it can be frustrating and should be handled by someone who has a great deal of experience--and the tools.
Water heaters
Why water heaters? Two reasons. First, a permit is needed to replace a water heater, and water heaters should now be equipped with a thermal expansion tank to prevent excessive pressure on the tank and pipes. When it's inspected (a requirement), the inspector will fail it if it doesn't have the expansion tank.
The second reason is that a pro should install anything involving gas, and some water heaters are gas. We don't want the average homeowner messing with gas, especially if they live in our neighborhood. Seriously, a gas leak can be fatal to you and your family. Also, most appliance manufacturers won't honor a warranty for a gas appliance that wasn't installed by a pro--not to mention the homeowner's insurance requirements!
Once a homeowner purchases a new appliance, it's with the hope that it will look beautiful, be safe, and last a long time. Professional installation offers the assurance that a homeowner needs that the job will be done right.
Freedom Appliance of Tampa Bay has 13 years of experience in professional repair and installation of all laundry and kitchen appliances and dryer duct cleaning. Call 813-302-7672 today!