Beware of YouTube DIY channels

 I am advising a lot more frequently that folks who are looking to do work in their home themselves try to avoid the YouTube "DIY" channels.  

Not because DIY is bad or wrong or anything like that, but it seems more and more of the YouTubers are focusing on "hacks" and "tricks" to get things done and it cam end up really badly if we actually try some of that crap.

Doing It Yourself, ESPECIALLY where electrical,  plumbing, and HVAC are concerned gets tricky.  Because in many places, building codes get a bit tricky.  In a lot of places, they want permits and licensed tradespeople to do specific tasks regardless of if it's a contracted or DIY project.

Sure, we can just do it anyway and figure or hope no one will find out till we're dead or gone.  Happens a lot that way.  BUT...

You owe it to yourself to do a project the right way.  Why?  Because you may want to sell that house someday and a mortgage inspection may show that work done and put the kibosh on the sale or require a huge output of cash on your part to rectify it before the sale can move forward.

Or... you may not want to die or lose your property someday because you did a sketchy job.

Which brings me to the point of DIY YouTubers.  They are getting awful fond of sharing what they describe as "hacks" and "tricks" people can use instead of doing it the right way just to save a buck or something. 

No.   No no no no no no no...

NO!

ESPECIALLY where electrical,  plumbing,  and HVAC are involved. Leave the hacks and tricks to the YouTubers who aren't going to pay your bills, fees, fines, insurance,  etc...

There are way too many gimmicky tips out there that range from iffy to flat out irresponsible. 

I will tell you this one fact about parts, hardware, etc... that are discussed and debated widely all across the internet...

IF it's any good at all, it will be UL or otherwise listed and registered to meet the required and established codes.  If it is listed/registered,  and there are many tradespeople trashing it or telling you not to use it, don't just automatically rule it out.  And if a lot of YouTubers are enthusiastically promoting, don't just jump right on it.

Research it.

The most common problem an item gets trash talked is because it looks too good to be true on the surface (and sometimes is).

But... the reason most DIY installs of these items do fail, when they seem to have a high record of failure, is NOT because the item is a bad product, but because it wasn't installed correctly. 

And then trades pros get called in to fix the DIY install and subsequently trash talk the product AND DIY in general as a bad thing. And they're wrong.

Everything from Wagos electrical connectors to Sharkbytes and Pex connections have been totally trash talked by tradespeople as bad products when they were just incorrectly installed or used in the wrong conditions. 

In the words of Kenny Roger's Gambler, "You've got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run..."  and that's not just applicable to gambling.   

As DIYers, we have to do a better job at familiarizing ourselves with both the products we plan to use AND the situations and conditions in which they should or should not be used, before we try to use these things.

We also need to be better at recognizing the difference of what's used for a temporary fix and a full repair.  Far too often we go for the temporary fix, maybe out of necessity at the time, but never get back to do the proper repair afterwards.  And it bites us on the ass.  Big time.

So really, leave the hacks and tricks for YouTubers and magicians.   Do It Yourself the right way, the first time.  Or if you have to use the temporary fix the first time, as situations sometimes require, make sure to get back to it and do it right.