Water Fix vs Replace Decision Aid
Determines whether to attempt a DIY repair or escalate to a larger plumbing assembly replacement based on symptoms, damage level, and risk factors.
DIY or Replace? Answer the “water vs drain” uncertainty fast
Water Fix vs Replace Decision Aid helps you choose between a repair-first approach (DIY or localized fix) and escalating to assembly replacement or a pro-led inspection. It’s designed for homeowners dealing with an unclear leak or slow drain who want to avoid paying again for the same underlying issue.
How the Risk Score turns your observations into a recommendation
The calculator converts your inputs into a single RiskScore from 1–10 using visible damage severity, drain recurrence pattern, access difficulty (age/material), and how certain you are about the leak/source location. It then applies simple rules: low risk points toward a DIY repair attempt, mid-range risk suggests fix-first but verify for hidden damage, and high risk triggers assembly replacement or pro-led escalation.
When the “same symptom” can mean very different levels of hidden damage
A small visible issue can still hide problems if the water source location is uncertain or structural, or if the home is older/hard to access. Conversely, higher visible damage usually increases the likelihood of subfloor or mold/water intrusion—so the tool escalates even if you’d prefer to try a quick fix first.
Safety-first escalation triggers (don’t override these)
If you select “standing water/overflow risk,” “unknown/structural,” or a visible damage severity of 4+, the tool forces escalation regardless of the computed score. Also, if you choose “leak” with severity 4+ the calculator escalates because leaks at that level often involve structural/subfloor risk.
Input checks: common mismatches that can skew the result
The calculator flags contradictions, like picking “slow drain” with high visible damage (unless you indicated signs consistent with active leaking) or choosing “leak-only” while also selecting “standing water/overflow risk.” It also requires that if the source location is “unknown/structural,” visible damage shouldn’t be set to 0–1—so the recommendation isn’t based on incompatible assumptions.
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