10 Plumbing Mistakes You Have Been Doing

•         Too much reliance on chemical drain cleaners – Don’t you know that often, trusting your drains with chemical drain cleaners can only do more harm than good? We know you’re only trying the easiest and quickest way possible to get rid of those filthy waste out of the drain, but using chemical cleaners can only make the problem worse. You don’t need to take our word for it, but we challenge you to do research and you’ll find many people regretting using it. It’s not only harmful to your health but also to your fixtures. They have strong and distinct formulas to make magic in your drain but bring some risk – they can produce enough heat to melt pipes or crack porcelain toilet bowls if left sitting for too long.

         Failing to Take Freezing Pipe Precautions – If you live where the temperature can take a dive below freezing point, it’s critical to take proper precautions to prevent water from freezing in your pipes. In the best times, water can be a formidable enemy, but in areas, like your homes where water can turn into ice for a long period, the challenges are profound. So, don’t blink at the possibility of freezing situations in your home, keep it warmer by insulating your exterior walls, basement, crawl space, attic, basement and the pipes themselves. Failing to do these can leave your home’s plumbing vulnerable to bursting, leading to flooding.

        Thinking you can handle a big plumbing job – Some people have become well-rounded in plumbing, they call themselves professional DIYers. It’s more like a title of someone who knows to plumb but way less of an expert than plumbing professionals. If you are someone who is trying to be like that, be careful. Bear in mind that fixing a simple leak can easily turn into a flooding ordeal when you don’t have the right tools and you’re not careful. Thinking you can do it is something, but really fixing it with a 100% success rate is another story. It is still better to trust your plumbing to an expert if you don’t want to end up having to pay a professional to try to tie loose ends, which could cost more.

        Flushing foreign objects – Being careless about what you put down the drain can become a tragedy. You may not suffer from its effect immediately but over time it can create havoc in your plumbing. Take for example flushing hair down the drain. Yes, you heard it right, hair is especially terrible for your drains. When you continuously allow hair to go down the drain it can ball up, catching different elements such as debris, dirt, sediments and other sizable or non-soluble items and jam up the pipe. Hairs just have a knack at getting through even small holes in your drain traps, so might as well just put it where it belongs! To your waste bin and not your drains.

        Pouring FOGs down the drain – You may not notice it but most of what people prepare for meals contain fats, oil and grease, either naturally or unnaturally. And if you’re not careful in removing these elements from your dishes and kitchen wares before washing them in your sink, they can harden and cause clogs to build up in your drainpipe. While it’s tempting to just let it there and let the water and dishwashing soap do its job for you, keep in mind that once it starts to create buildup in your pipe, it can result in a messy and costly repair job to do. If you don’t want to run into trouble associated with FOGs (fats, oil and grease), wipe them off with a paper towel first. If you suspect that FOGs are already caking your pipe, pour boiling water on the sink or call the drain pipe relining experts to inspect whether or not a cleaning may be needed. 

        Using Drop-in toilet fresheners – Drop-in toilet fresheners help your toilet bowl to stay stain-free and stink-free, but they are also damaging. They are made of chlorine tablets that once dissolved and sit on the water, come in contact with gaskets and washers that are highly susceptible to corrosion. Over time toilets will start to develop a leak or will refuse to flush properly due to the damage caused by the chlorine tablets.

        Using Bath Bombs – There’s nothing nice than the feeling of fizzy bombs in the tub, but it has downsides just like other beauty soaps. Despite their loveliness, bath bombs, especially those fancy ones are made up of several particles like confetti or glitter that can tend to clog drains. These particles are not only a pain to clean, but also bad for your plumbing over time. Keep these from happening by removing them from your hygiene list, or wrap your bath bomb with nylon stockings. Also, before adding them to your shopping cart, it would be helpful to ask the store if they contain hidden tiny debris or insoluble particles. This will save you the trouble of wrapping the bath bomb or having to clean them away.

        Leaving Hoses Connected in the Winter – When the summer heat bids goodbye, it’s important to not only pack up your grill but also disconnect the garden hoses and shut off the water to exterior taps. If garden hoses are left connected to the tap throughout the cold days and freezes, this can cause cracks on the hose and pipe, leading to plumbing leaks. If temperatures get especially low in your area, place an insulation cap on the bare spigot to keep it warm and to provide added protection.

        Not replacing the water heater – Under good condition, a traditional water heater can last up to 8-12 years, while tankless may last 20 years. While a new water heater doesn’t give you excitement as a new gadget, or a new car, it is important to replace it by its average expiration date, or you could suffer from a costly leak and higher water bill. A drop in water temperature or thumping sounds is your telltale signs that your water heater may have already reached its end of useful life. Almost without exception, a new heater offers more heating efficiency. Not replacing it could mean danger.

        Misuse of garbage disposal – Most plumbers agree that nothing can cause more clots than tea leaves, coffee grounds, and eggshells. The tiny particles of these items just have a knack at sticking to the inner workings of the pipes, slowing down the water flow and eventually clogging the pipes and backing the system up. Refrain from doing this ever again if you don’t want to deal with clogged pipes. But if you’re already suffering from clogged pipes and your plunger at home is not doing the trick, consider speaking to drain relining Sydney experts.