When to Call a Professional Mechanic

Why does one experience so much pain, inner turmoil and restlessness when one has to call the handyman/tradesman? I may be alone, but sometimes I let the pipe drip, suffer 90 degree temperatures and leave the check engine light on for weeks and months before seeing the "handyman." Should there be so much fear and apprehension in our decision to call the expert? There may be some valid reasons for this.

Sometime ago in 2008, one of our toilets began to leak. I took the top off and after examining the parts, discovered that I needed a round piece of reddish rubber (later learned it is called a flush valve seal). My search for a replacement led me to a small plumbing store - nothing in the big guys. I replaced the seal, the water stopped leaking and I felt like a king. That fix lasted for several months.

In April the leak returned and nothing I tried worked. The seal was in good shape but gave up on sealing. With frustration building and the inconvenience of turning the pipe on and off annoying every bone inside, I relented and called the plumber. He spent ten minutes and I paid him $45 to use my material to fix the leak. Cool, right? I did not think so.

I can also talk about my car. The check engine light came on and two different mechanics gave me two different diagnoses. After two so-called rounds of repairs and $700, the check engine alert returned shortly after. I drove for several months with the light on and then took it to the dealer - bill - $1,000. I told them, "See ya." The fact is, however, that I need to repair the 10 year old car so that I can drive it for another year or two.

How about the air conditioning system at the rental house? I have spent $1,000 in three months and now the tenant still calls to say that the house is hot. The last expert told me that I needed to clean the evaporator coil and replace the unit - one there was the wrong size. I gave him the green light, he gave me a good price, but after 3 weeks and unending days of 90 degree temperatures, the house remains warm. I finally got a hold of him and now it will cost $700 to replace the coil. It turned out that the coil was bad after all. What does one do?

These are those days when I wish I could do it all - plumber, electrician, HVAC, mechanic, etc. Yet the truth is I believe that the wealth and roles should be shared. If I was able to do all fixes and you could too, what would happen to the guy/gal that was trained for certain specific roles? They would have a problem feeding their families, right? Another fact is that we could not find the time to be trained in all fields. Well, I guess if it means saving a bundle we could make some time. Nah! There is just not enough time. Furthermore, our world would be most uninteresting, if we were all the same.

So we cannot be our own handyman, but we need to save. There is no way we can continue this financial bleeding. Is there a balance? Here is my humble proposal.

Let us continue to learn how to take care of the small jobs. Case in point - last weekend I ordered 4 flush valve seals for $17.55 and this week I restored two leaking toilets. Pretty cool, eh? Savings totaled $27. As for the more difficult tasks such as the check engine light, leave it to the experts.

Here are some tips to remember when getting an expert:

1. Get recommendations from relatives and friends

2. Build a relationship with an expert so you can have someone, whom you trust to call on

3. Call around and compare offers

4. Ensure that the expert is licensed

5. Ensure that the expert offers warranties