Conventional wisdom can help you take care of your home in a lot of ways. However, it goes right out the door when it comes to plumbing. People don’t actually know a lot of things about their home’s pipes and plumbing. There are many pervasive myths that lead to damaged pipes and plumbing issues. Every careful homeowner should know how to avoid them. Here are some of the most common plumbing myths that people still believe.
1. Hot water breaks grease
Grease is the bane of plumbing everywhere. When a lot of it goes down the drain, you might end up with a clog. Lots of homeowners try to prevent this from happening by running hot water when they pour grease down the drain. Unfortunately, this doesn’t prevent the grease from doing damage.
Sure, the hot water will help it go down faster, but only for a short while. This grease is going to hit a pipe and cool down, causing it to adhere to the pipe wall. Eventually, this turns it into a massive clog which is hard to break. The hot water might even make the situation worse. If the grease goes deeper before sticking to the wall, you just get a tougher clog which is even more difficult to break.
2. Lemons keep it fresh
A lot of people think that lemons are a miracle fruit. It’s not uncommon for them to pour some lemon juice down the drain to keep it fresh. It’s true that lemon will keep things clean and make smells go away, but this effect is only temporary.
Worse yet, the lemon will also very likely damage the piping in your home. The citric acid isn’t just for show, it’s pretty strong. It can corrode pipes and lead to leakages if used too much. Ice is a much better alternative. It can help clear some tougher smells from the garbage disposal and drain. Although, this could end up being loud.
3. Lost jewellery is gone forever
It happens to the best of us. Perhaps a ring slips off your finger or a necklace slides down the drain. What are you supposed to do in this type of situation? The jewellery might as well be considered gone, considering it went down with the flow of water.
Luckily, this isn’t always the case. Solid objects won’t instantaneously get swept by water into deeper pipes. Most likely, it’s stuck in the trap. It’s not a difficult problem to solve, either. You can call a plumber to help you find your missing piece of jewellery, or you can DIY it. All you have to do is take apart the drain’s clean out. Make sure you set up a bucket to stop making a mess.
4. Plumbing doesn’t need a lot of maintenance
This is part of the reason people end up with clogs and burst pipes. The plumbing in your home needs maintenance just like any other system might. There are lots of factors that can damage the piping, some of which are out of your control. Tree roots can block pipes and shifting foundations can mis-align them.
The best way to stay safe from plumbing issues is to regularly maintain your pipes. Whenever something comes up, it doesn’t hurt to consult some professionals like Tallis Plumbing to have the pipes checked out. Worst case scenario: you fix a problem before it manifests itself. It’s going to save you some very costly repairs down the line, and you never have to worry about something suddenly going wrong.
5. Water saves the garbage disposal
People often put all kinds of things down their garbage disposal. This includes banana peels and eggshells, which are normally avoided. Just because the water is running doesn’t mean you have free reign to ruin your garbage disposal.
The water won’t prevent hard food items from doing damage to the unit. If you’re constantly feeding it damaging items, it’s eventually going to break down. In fact, this is the number one reason for replacing garbage disposals. An expensive repair bill is something you want to avoid. Stick to throwing hard foods in the garbage instead.
Conclusion
Homeowners dread having to deal with plumbing problems, which his understandable. They can be costly and time-consuming. Not to mention, you can’t take are of essential hygiene when they occur. When it comes to plumbing, there are lots of things that can go wrong, which is why it’s important for homeowners to stay vigilant and protect their pipes as best they can. One way to keep them safe is to avoid many of the common myths that surround taking care of them. Instead, talk to professionals when you encounter a problem and take their advice as gospel. It might end up saving you money in the long run.
Author Bio: Liam Smith is a young and aspiring Australian blogger with a passion for everything related to home, design and lifestyle. He has a B.Sc. in Interior design and is an avid reader.
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