Did you know that toilets account for about 30% of all the water that your home uses? With this in mind, you might be willing to try almost anything to cut down on how much water your toilets use.
For some people, that means sticking a brick into the tanks of their toilets and hoping that they will do the trick. For a long time, people were under the impression that this would prevent their toilets from using so much water.
But this is one of the many residential plumbing myths that exist today. Any expert plumber will tell you that putting a brick in the tank of a toilet isn’t going to do much to help you use less water in your home. And it might end up doing damage to a toilet in some cases.
There are lots of other residential plumbing myths that should be on your radar, too. Check out a few of them below.
Myth: It’s OK to Pour Grease Down a Drain With Hot Water
There are far too many people who have gotten into the habit of pouring grease down their drains. Many of them do it because they think that, as long as they run hot water while they’re doing it, the grease won’t present any problems.
Hot water will melt grease as you pour it down the drain. But once the grease is actually in your plumbing pipes, it’ll cool off quickly and begin to harden. This can inevitably lead to your plumbing pipes getting backed up and you having to call on a local plumber for assistance.
Myth: All Drain Cleaners Are Easy to Use, Safe, and Effective
If one of the drains in your home gets backed up at some point, you might run right out to the store and buy a drain cleaner to fix it. In many instances, a drain cleaner will appear to work wonders for your drain, but it could actually be doing more damage to it than you might realize.
Over time, drain cleaners can begin to eat away at the insides of your plumbing pipes. This could eventually cause your plumbing pipes to fail on you and force you to contact the best plumber in your area to replace them.
Rather than run the risk of ruining your home’s plumbing pipes, you should avoid using drain cleaners at all costs. It’s a much better idea to call on a professional plumber to clear a clogged drain than to try to do it yourself.
Myth: A Slow-Moving Drain Isn’t That Big of a Deal
Slow-moving drains are some of the most common plumbing problems in the average home. It’s not all that out of the ordinary for drains to get backed up just a little bit and begin to drain way slower than they should.
As long as the drains in your home drain eventually, you might not be too concerned about slow-moving drains. But you should be!
A single slow-moving drain can put a huge strain on your entire plumbing system. It can result in other parts of your plumbing system backing up on you if you’re not careful.
You can live with a slow-moving drain for a little while without doing anything about it. But you should make it your mission to take care of a slow-moving drain sooner rather than later to stop it from taking a toll on your plumbing system.
Myth: Flushable Wipes Are Actually, Well, “Flushable”
One of the biggest problems that the plumbing industry has faced in recent years are so-called flushable wipes. People have started to use these wipes early and often at home while using the bathroom.
But there is an issue with them: They aren’t as “flushable” as the companies that make them claim they are. They can get stuck in plumbing pipes and the sewer system and cause catastrophes when they don’t dissolve completely.
If you’re using flushable wipes in your home now, you might want to consider stopping. Even though they’re very convenient to use, your plumbing system might not react well to them for too long.
Myth: A Good Plumber Is Hard to Find
Finding a plumber is easy. There are, after all, more than 125,000 residential plumbing companies operating throughout the U.S. at this time.
But some people will tell you that finding a good plumber is difficult to do. These people don’t always trust plumbers and what they bring to the table.
Finding a good plumber shouldn’t be that hard to do, though. You just need to take the right approach to it when you’re in the market for the best plumber in your area.
Follow these steps to get the job done:
- Make a list of the plumbers in your area
- Do your research on every local plumber that you can find
- See which services a professional plumber can provide
- Compare the costs from one expert plumber to the next
- Take a look at the reputations of every plumber in your city
- Hire the best plumber you can find!
By working your way through these steps, you can locate a great plumber that you’ll be able to depend on. They can tackle any plumbing project that you need done and get your plumbing system working in the way that it’s supposed to again.
Don’t Buy Into Any of These Residential Plumbing Myths
As you’ve seen here, there are more than a few residential plumbing myths that have popped up over time. You shouldn’t buy into any of them now that you know the truth behind them.
If you’re ever confused about what might be going on with your home’s plumbing system, you should get the best plumber you can find on the phone fast. They should be able to make your plumbing problems a thing of the past in no time at all.
Get more great home improvement hacks by browsing through the rest of the articles posted on our blog.