What would you do if you needed a plumber?

[Teaching3bears]

Our house is currently coronavirus-free. We can't seem to fix the problem ourselves. A plumber goes in and out of peoples's homes all day and breathes air in their homes etc. I don't know what to do. Any ideas?

[May]

If it’s not something you can solve, doesn’t seem like you have much choice😢You could always ask that you are the first appointment of the day. 

[Carrie12345]

I really wouldn’t sweat it. I’d bring a plumber in, and then disinfect every area they were in.
I mean, I wouldn’t do it just for fun, but I’d consider it minimal risk in exchange for the convenience of working plumbing!

[barnwife]

Agreeing with the pp. It's very nice to have working plumbing, so it'd be a risk I'd take. But I'd take precautions to protect both the plumber and ourselves. Also, it may depend on exactly what the issue is. For example, if a shower in a toilet isn't working, but it's not the only toilet in the house, if you just shut the water off to that toilet and muddle through without it? We could and might. But we we have 3 bathrooms. Obviously, a home with only 1 toilet couldn't do that.

[Selkie]

I would have the plumber come over if it were an absolute necessity, but stand far away, disinfect the heck out of everything, and open all the windows.

[mmasc]

I’d call the plumber. I’d make sure he’s wearing booties or whatever over his shoes, but otherwise I’d just disinfect the doorknobs/etc after he’s gone. (I’ve been doing that anyway though). 

[Bambam]

I'd call the plumber. Seriously. I'd disinfect what he touched after he left and call it good. 

[J-rap]

In our apartment building, their guidelines are to call their maintenance department only if it's urgent.  So if it's a plugged toilet that has become unusable, for example, I'd absolutely call a plumber!!  

[Carrie12345]

42 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Seriously. This type of panic is way overblown. You can have a plumber in your house and he isn’t going to bring in the plague. Is this really the message the media is sending out? 

I wouldn’t call it *panic*.
My kid wasn’t allowed to have a friend in our house. Friend’s father is now waiting for his test results. My family doesn’t have to worry about that now.  It is very much true that you DON’T KNOW who has it.
That said, playing the low odds and taking precautions while doing so for something like plumbing does still make perfect sense. If dd’s friend were a plumber... 😆 

[Pen]

I’d call the plumber.

Do what you can to work out keeping 2 meters distance.  

How papers that need to be signed can be handed back and forth, that sort of thing. This must be very tough on the trades people too. 

[sweet2ndchance]

If you'd rather not bring in a plumber if you don't have to, ask the hive about your plumbing issue. Surely someone has had the problem you are having and may have a solution you haven't tried yet. It's worth a shot to avoid paying a plumber if nothing else.