March 29, 2024

mariandumitru

Elegant home interior

PLUMBING ERRORS YOU SHOULD AVOID AT ALL COSTS

The plumbing system is one of the most critical parts of your house. Any plumbing problem can impact your entire drainage system and cause havoc within a short time in case of leakages, so you should be more careful with it. Surprisingly, some of our actions at home are the causes of plumbing problems, and learning about them is the best way to avoid them.

Flushing wipes

Even if they are labeled flushable, wipes are one of the things you should not flush down the toilet. Read more plumbing facts, and you will discover that. Wipes take long to disintegrate and create partial blockage in the drainage. As you flush more wipes, you may end up with a compacted drain which leads to a wholly blocked sewer line in the long run. Water rising in your toilet and sink is a sign of wholly blocked drainage. Do not flush anything other than toilet paper. 

Pouring grease into the sink

Another mistake many homeowners make unknowingly is pouring grease down the kitchen drain. When you pour grease into the drain, it solidifies in the cooler faucet water and sticks to the walls of the drain pipes over time. That accumulates gunky blockage that is disgusting and costly to repair. A plumber must hydrojet the drain line to clear the blockage, which may be expensive and time-consuming.

Use of the inappropriate drain cleaners

Drain cleaners work but only if used appropriately. For many homeowners, the first thing they do when they experience drain blockage is to use a liquid drain cleaner to remove the blockage. If it doesn’t work, they go for the strongest one in the market, most likely an acidic one. 

Acidic drain cleaners can corrode plumbing fixtures such as porcelain and stainless steel and cause more damage. It is advisable to mechanically clear blockage using a plunger or call a plumber. Use the right drain cleaner and follow instructions when using it.

Failure to identify the location of water shut off valves

Emergency plumbing problems such as burst pipes can severely flood your house if you don’t know where the water shut-off valve is. You need this information to shut down the primary water source to avoid more damage before the plumber gets there. The main water supply valve is mostly located where the main water supply pipe enters the house.

Forgetting to winterize pipes during winter

Winterizing plumbing pipes is one of the activities homeowners should do to prepare their homes for the winter. When water freezes, it becomes ice and expands. The expansion builds pressure within pipes, eventually leading to a burst pipe. Winterizing the pipes prevents devastating burst pipes and leaks during winter.

Overtightening pipe connections

If you install a plumbing fixture or repair a plumbing problem yourself, avoid overtightening the fixtures. Overtightening damages the internal seal making a plumbing repair difficult in the future.

Summing up 

You should be very careful with your plumbing system, and it is also advisable to schedule a plumbing inspection from time to time.