Everybody has bad habits. They’re hard to get out of because they’re often the easy way out of a situation. You might have a few bad habits when it comes to maintaining your plumbing and keeping your pipes in shape. Maybe you’re already aware of them, but you haven’t tried changing them. If your habits are causing increased need for residential plumbing services, you could save time and money by making a change.
Here are common bad habits that cause many of the problems residential plumbers see:
Overusing chemical drain cleaners
Your go-to tool for a clogged drain should be a sink or shower plunger. If those don’t work, you should try a drain auger. Only if those methods fail should you consider a chemical drain cleaner, because overusing chemical cleaners can eat away at your pipes. While the labeling on chemical cleaners might state that they’re safe for piping, they’re still formulated with powerful chemicals. They’re safe if used once in a while, but for more frequent cleaning, use non-toxic drain cleaners like DIY mixtures or enzymatic cleaners.
Rooter service providers typically use chemical cleaners as a last resort before recommending more intensive services (e.g. hydro jetting). However, most clogs can be taken care of with manual methods or an enzymatic cleaner that breaks down organic proteins. Enzymatic cleaners are especially effective for clearing hair out of your shower drain.
Flushing foreign objects down the toilet
This might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how often residential plumbing services are called in to deal with clogs caused by foriegn objects. Some items might seem like they can flush, such as paper towels and antibacterial wipes, but your plumbing is made for specific purposes. The only things that should be flushed are toilet paper and human waste. Anything else can cause buildup and then obstruction.
Abusing your food disposal
It’s tempting to put all your food waste down the food disposal, but it’s not impervious to damage. First, you should always follow the proper steps: run water, turn on the disposal, put food down the disposal, then turn off the disposal and water. Second, you should keep in the back of your mind a list of what not to put down the sink. You obviously don’t want to put non-food down the disposal, but there’s also food stuff you don’t want to wash down.
Don’t put the following food stuff through your disposal:
- Pasta, rice, and other food that swells with water
- Grease, oil, and fat
- Bones
- Potato peels
- Chicken skin
- Fruit pits
Putting the above through your disposal could cause pipe buildup, damage your disposal blades, and cause general havok in your plumbing system.
Residential Plumbing Services with Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating
Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides quick and professional residential plumbing services. We’ll fix your damaged sink and shower pipes, and can advise you on the best pipe care. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for 24/7 residential plumbing services.