Many homeowners may attempt to maintain their plumbing systems on their own, however, they may realize after trying to fix a problem they have made it worse and need a professional to come to repair the damage anyway. Making a plumbing repair mistake on your own can turn out to be more costly than hiring a plumber initially. If you think YouTube or Googling a plumbing fix will be able to get your problem solved properly, you may want to think again as some information may not be the best solution. Here are 5 myths about plumbing that you should know.
Garbage Disposals Can Be Cleaned with a Lemon
Garbage Disposals get full of gunk and can be a hassle to clean. While lemons may get rid of any horrid odors, it won’t actually clean the garbage disposal. Using a disinfectant with soap and warm water can be an effective cleaning method when done right. Just spray the solution, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub with a cleaning brush. Repeat as many times as necessary to get all the garbage off.
Running Water Makes Things Flow Smoothly
Many people see the garbage disposal as another trash can, so they put whatever they please in it and run water to help it travel better. This is false- hard, thick foods like eggshells or banana peels actually can cause damage to your disposal and may even break it. This can cost a lot of money to repair and you may even have to replace the entire system.
Things Still Go Down the Drain- It’s Not Clogged!
Just because things are moving doesn’t mean a problem isn’t starting to arise. A slow-moving drain may signal a problem brewing which you may want to check out. The same goes for and waste fragments that remain in the discharge pipe, especially if there is a lot of it. Your drain can be developing a clog and still work so it is important to keep an eye on it and regularly clean it.
Hand Soap Works as a Cleaner
Hand Soap can damage the surface or your plumbing systems. Different types of surfaces require different types of cleansers and different methods of cleaning. Brass requires gentle solutions like baking soda whereas porcelain toilet bowls require aggressive disinfectants to kill germs and bacteria.
Plumbing Systems Don’t Require Maintenance
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” doesn’t really apply when it comes to plumbing systems. If you think that your pipes are fine and don’t need a checkup you can have major problems down the road. Plant roots, forming clogs, or old pipes and be causing issues you may not realize until it is too late. Leaving these problems unsolved can even cause other complications such as septic tanks becoming full or broken sewer lines which are even more expensive to repair.
These common myths are among the top causes of plumbing problems for the average homeowner. They can be time-consuming and very costly which is what people wish to avoid in the first place. If you want to avoid these issues, make sure to properly take care of them in the first place.