A homeowner can handle many installation and repair jobs around the home by themselves. Almost anyone can replace a tap washer or change his or her own furnace filters emergency plumbing. With the help of family or friends, installing a new toilet or sink is usually doable so long as there is a reward of Pizza, soda and/or beer. For bigger jobs, sometimes it helps to know someone who does this sort of thing on the side, someone you can work with while learning as you go. However, some jobs demand the use of a professional, and not someone moonlighting from their day job either. Gas plumbing falls into this last category; it requires the services of a professional gas plumber.

If you don’t seat a toilet on the seal properly, you will have a mess to clean up and you will have to redo the job. If you mix the pipes when installing a sink, everyone, from that day forward, will find himself or herself turning on the hot tap when they want cold water and vice versa. If you make a mistake when dealing with natural gas or LPG, the repercussions will be a lot more serious. A large explosion is one possible result. Another possible outcome is carbon monoxide poisoning. Even those non-professionals who have successfully done gas plumbing work in the past may have not suffered any consequences yet only due to exceptional circumstances, which might not be repeated at your home.

When you employ a gas plumber, you are hiring someone who will not guess, but will know how to do the job correctly. A gas plumber knows how to ensure against gas leaks as well as how to ensure that when gas is burned it burns cleanly and that appliances such as water heaters are properly vented. Moreover, a plumber will be familiar with the local safety codes and do the job right so that any work that requires an inspection will pass the first time. There is always a temptation to avoid inspections. Some homeowners don’t wish to pay for permits; they want to do things as cheaply as possible and don’t want to be held to standards. This is one of the reasons homeowners avoid calling in a professional when they need gas plumbing work done; this is penny wise, pound foolish reasoning.

Beyond the convenience, peace of mind and safety of having a professional gas plumber handle your gas plumbing needs there is also the legal ramifications to consider. If someone dies or is injured in or near your house, including fire fighters called to extinguish your burning home, a liability claim could be filed if the gas plumbing was found to be at fault. With a bonded gas plumber, the liability will be theirs and not yours. Even your insurance company may turn on you if you file a claim with them and they discover damage was the result of not hiring a gas plumber. Gas plumbing is too important, too potentially dangerous to be left to non-professionals.