It’s easy to fall into the habit of not giving much thought to your home’s plumbing until something goes wrong. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
But by the time that pipe has burst or you’ve noticed damp patches on your walls, the damage is almost always well and truly in progress.
The following bad habits contribute to plumbing woes and can cause extensive damage to the foundation of your home.
Have you been fooled by any of the following plumbing myths?
Myth 1: tightening a tap will stop a leak
Drip, drip, drip.
That frustrating sound is keeping you up at night. Never mind – all you need to do is get up and tighten the tap, right? Just keep on turning until you’ve exerted all your strength and you cannot turn anymore. The drip has stopped (…for now). Problem solved! Or is it?
Every time you tighten that tap, you’re placing unnecessary strain on the fixture, while not actually solving the issue of a leak.
Instead, the simplest fix (and most common cause of a dripping tap) is to install a new washer onto the tap. However even a task as seemingly basic as this should only be performed by a qualified plumber!
Myth 2: you should only worry about drains when they are clogged
While we focus on the mantra that prevention is better than cure, others, unfortunately, seem to follow “out of sight – out of mind”!
Just because water is still running through a drain, there’s no real way to know whether a drain is slowly developing a blockage. By the time you do notice that water flow has slowed, significant build-up will already be partially blocking your drains.
Remember that you have an entire plumbing system in your home: this web of pipes makes it near impossible to determine exactly where along a pipe a blockage may have formed.
Blocked drains can quickly lead to back up. Instead of waiting for a problem to reach its crux, choose regular plumbing maintenance to ensure your drains remain in tip-top shape.
Better yet, regular maintenance will diagnose problems before they escalate, saving you money in the long term.
Myth 3: all you need to clear a toilet is a trusty plunger
You can push and plunge all you like, but if a toilet problem is severe, there’s only so much a plunger will do.
A plunger usually works for minor toilet clogs, but when it isn’t enough, it’s often a warning to a more serious underlying problem. Your best bet is to find and call an emergency plumber ASAP!
Myth 4: toilets can handle anything
If a toilet can handle our, ahem, worst, surely it can handle a bit of rubbish, too?!
Not so much.
Your toilet is not a bin. We repeat: your toilet is not a bin!
We urge you to think before you flush, especially about items you might think are fine to toss in the toilet. The major culprits that are in fact NOT suitable to flush include:
- Cotton balls
- Paper towels
- Tissues
Find out more common causes of blocked toilets here.
Myth 5: all plumbers are created equal
We hate to be the ones to tell you, but just like any other profession, there are people out there without the proper qualifications, education, tools, or know-how to successfully (and safely!) solve plumbing problems.
Not only will these people fail to solve a problem, they’ll also cost you in wasted money! Don’t fall for the dodgy tradesman – ensure any trade you pick is qualified and can present proper licences, certifications, and qualifications.
Have you been tricked by these plumbing myths?
The above myths are just examples of the most common ones that can trick unsuspecting homeowners like you day in and day out.
If you have a problem with your toilets, drains, pipes or any other part of your plumbing system it is best to find a plumber instead of tackling the problem yourself, or perhaps worst of all, ignoring it.
No matter how small the problem seems, there’s no telling how much damage is being caused until it’s professionally assessed. The only solution that will save you stress and reduce the risk of damage is to leave the job to professional plumbers.
Find the best plumber in Warrandyte! Choose H2-Pro
Finding the best local plumber needn’t be a daunting task: those living in and around Warrandyte can choose the best in the business: H2-Pro’s team is just a call away! You can also reach out to us here.
