Most call-backs trace to a small set of avoidable mistakes. None of them are exotic; they are the everyday shortcuts that catch up with you a few weeks after the job is signed off.
The usual suspects
Watch for these five, in roughly the order they cause trouble:
- Over-tightening threaded joints — cracks fittings and distorts seals.
- Skipping thread sealant — invites slow, hard-to-trace leaks.
- Mixing incompatible metals — accelerates galvanic corrosion.
- Under-supporting long runs — causes sag, stress and eventual failure.
- Rushing the pressure test — hides faults until the worst possible moment.
Slow down at the joints and support every run — most return visits simply disappear.
How to avoid them
Tighten to feel, not to force; seal every threaded joint correctly for its type; keep dissimilar metals apart with a transition fitting; bracket long runs at the recommended spacing; and never sign off without a proper, timed pressure test.
Pre-handover checklist
Every threaded joint sealed with the right method, tightened to feel
No dissimilar metals in direct contact
Long runs supported at the correct spacing
Full pressure test completed and recorded
Five habits, not five rules. Build them into how you work and the call-backs stop following you home.
