Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about their plumbing. Around here of course, we do! When properly taken care of plumbing contributes considerably to our daily comfort. There are a lot of myths and urban legends out there involving plumbing that can cause a lot more harm than good. We don’t want you to risk damaging your plumbing, or to be taken for a ride believing something that isn’t so.
Coming in at number one – GREASE. This idea of diluting it with boiling water gets a big NO. Grease, in any form or dilution, should never be allowed to go down the drain. Grease will always cause plumbing problems, all the way through your system. Avoid very costly system breakdowns and problems with your water/sewer drainage by keeping grease far away from your sink drains.
Remember your grandmother doing this? Possibly the most famous urban myth of plumbing, there is absolutely no truth or proof to this working. If anything, it will cause water flow to get interrupted and lead to an inefficient flush process. Also, if the brick breaks down in your tank, pieces could damage the internal working of the toilet. If you want to save on water, use water-saver toilets and fixtures, fix any leaking plumbing appliance, and pay attention to how much water you waste letting it run while doing dishes or brushing your teeth.
Unfortunately, some products advertise as flushable when they are really not a good idea to put down the toilet at all! Basically, you should not flush anything except toilet paper. Flushable wipes are the largest cause of blocked drainage in the country. These products, wipes and other “flushable” items, do not dissolve fast or well enough to be safe to go down the drain. Put them in the trashcan and save yourself the frustration of a clog.
Even the smallest of drips coming from a faucet is wasting thousands of gallons of water over time. The EPA suggests that you can save as much as 10% on your water bill simply by fixing any dripping or leaking faucets. So save your money and the planet – fix those leaks!
Any plumbing professional will tell you to keep harsh cleansers and abrasives away from your plumbing fixtures and pipes. If you like to use bleach, make sure you clean and rinse it off thoroughly within 10 minutes of applying it. Bleach is a very powerful chemical that will degrade the working parts of your toilet. Over time, it will corrode more and more. Save yourself a repair and be cautious with bleach.
We’re always amused when we hear this one. First off, garbage disposals don’t actually have blades. Instead, disposals use a system of impellers, like teeth, that spin at high speeds to shred and grind up food waste. No blades, no sharpening. While ice and eggshells may clean the impellers a bit, that is about all they will do.
We hope you enjoyed the debunking of these plumbing myths! As always, if you need any plumbing repair or replacement, 207 Plumbing & Heating is here to help!
