The drains in your property are really important. We do not often appreciate them, but they are a crucial part of your home. You rely on your pipes and drains to carry water into your home and remove wastewater from your sinks and bathrooms. These unsung heroes aren’t without weaknesses. There are a few things you should never put down your drains to prevent an expensive repair in the years ahead.
The truth is that no one’s plumbing is unbeatable, and if you don’t maintain good practices, you’ll wind up paying for repairs you could have avoided. Read on to arm yourself with the necessary information to avoid problems with your plumbing.
Flushable Wipes
We wouldn’t hold it against you if you made this error. It’s difficult to tell which product claims are false and could be believed. In this scenario, advertising regulations clear products to claim “flushable” without considering the effects on your plumbing.
It turns out that a lot of stuff can be flushed. When a French influencer realized that Orbeez could be flushed, he ended up destroying his entire town’s plumbing! Just because something says that it is flushable, it does not mean that your plumbing is safe.
Why then are flushable wipes such a drain problem? They don’t dissolve in water, which is the main cause. Aside from waste, toilet paper, which does dissolve in water, is literally the only thing you should flush down your toilet.
Grease and Oils
Oils and grease should never be flushed down the drain. Even after you’ve rinsed your disposal, they still cling to it. While the grease is currently liquid, it will stiffen up once it reaches room temperature.
It’ll leave a residue in your disposal pipes, coating them and preventing them from working correctly. Solid objects in your drain generate clogs, which should come as no surprise.
Gummy Foods
Anything that expands when wet is a no-no. Pasta is especially nasty in this sense. A single noodle will not hurt your disposal, but regularly putting sticky things down there will cause them to bloat and jam up your machine. Coffee grounds deserve a special note because while they won’t harm your waste disposal, they can clog the plumbing beyond it.
Throwing and Flushing Trash in Your Toilet
You can use the backseat of your car as a trash can if you like, but it won’t affect your car. However, flushing rubbish down the toilet will put a strain on your pipes.
Cat litter, wipes, plastic, and feminine hygiene products should not be flushed. Even though the products are labeled as “flushable,” you need to dispose of them in a trash can rather than a toilet.
Chemical-based Cleaners
We all want to keep our plumbing systems in good shape, but relying on chemical cleaners isn’t the way to do it. There is no such item as a chemical drain cleaner that is selective. These aggressive cleaners react with obstructions in drains to produce heat and gas, which dissolves the blockage, but that’s not all.
Corrosive substances also corrode your pipes’ inner walls. Although your pipes are (ideally) composed of tougher material than a bundle of coagulated hair and filth, they can still be harmed by chemical cleansers if exposed for too long.
You might be able to get away with using these products once in a while, but don’t make it a habit. Try plunging or other manual techniques before employing a drain cleaner. Biological drain cleaners that use bacteria and enzymes to remove the blockage are a good option if you want something more powerful. Because these cleaners use natural material to clear blockages, they cause less damage to your pipes.
Ignoring Small Leaks
Whether you have a leak due to bad practices or poor luck, you must address it as soon as possible. It’s all too easy to dismiss the odd drip from your bathroom sink. However, a leak can result in more than just high water costs. It can also create more pipe damage, leading to the pipe bursting.
The longer you ignore a little leak, the more expensive future repairs will be. Schedule plumbing maintenance as soon as possible.
Using the Garbage Disposal as a Garbage Can
Garbage disposals are a fantastic technology that makes our lives so very much easier, but they aren’t invincible. The garbage disposal is made to handle tiny amounts of common kitchen scraps. If you try to cram a huge plate of food down your disposal every night, you’re just asking for trouble.
Although the motors on the devices are powerful, some of them can wear out due to food items such as:
- Peels
- Eggshells
- Onions
- Celery
- Brussel sprouts
- Radishes
- Rice and pasta
Garbage disposal blades can become clogged with these and other fibrous foods, causing the motor to wear down.
Bundles of Hair
Hair clogs drains, especially in the bathroom sink and the shower. It’s nearly impossible to avoid if you live in a house with family members who have long hair because you’re undoubtedly sending loads of hair down the drain every month. Those dense hair fibers might soon clog the system.
Instead of confronting this issue, far too many individuals choose to ignore it. Don’t be one of these people. Instead, make it a point to clean the drains out regularly after showers and baths before it creates a massive clog.
Playing Plumber
It’s always a good idea to be aware of our limitations. While some people may have the skills and expertise to repair damaged pipes without the help of a plumber, the rest of us are far better off leaving this to the pros.
While it may be tempting to save money by doing it yourself, an incompetent patch job can make a plumbing problem 10 times worse and more expensive. So, if you grew up in a plumbing household, go ahead and try it, but if you catch yourself anxiously seeking a guide for help, save yourself the trouble and call your preferred plumber instead.
Ignoring Plumbing Health
Life can get quite hectic very quickly. It’s all too easy to get sucked into the “wait and see” mentality of ignoring problems until they become visible. Plumbing systems might easily fit that category when we have other matters on our minds. However, taking preventative measures is critical to safeguarding your home’s plumbing and avoiding major problems (and expenditures) down the road.
It can be costly to damage your pipes and plumbing. Take action now to avert problems in the future. Reach out to AZ Water, Drain & Sewer for plumbing services in Gilbert, AZ and the surrounding area. Our veteran-owned company is proud to serve the local area, and our priority has always been to promptly meet our clients’ needs while also ensuring that their property remains neat and clean. We provide a full range of plumbing services, including pipe and drain cleaning. Our plumbers can also help with sewer issues, plumbing installations and maintenance, pipe inspections, and water treatments. Reach out to us today for more information or to set up an appointment.
