Biggest Plumbing Mistakes Homeowners Make

You may often hear people saying that plumbing issues are unavoidable. But that’s not entirely true. While some plumbing problems may occur due to regular wear and tear and are somewhat inevitable, several others result from poor practices and maintenance and can be avoided with careful use.  Let’s go over some of these most common plumbing mistakes that homeowners make and inflict plumbing disasters upon themselves, so you can avoid them and keep your plumbing system functioning well for a long time.

1. Poor Maintenance

Plumbing is often overlooked until there’s some problem. And this is one of the biggest disservices homeowners do to the system that keeps water flowing in their homes. Regular maintenance can prevent a number of plumbing issues by helping you stay ahead of them. i.e., spot and resolve minor issues before they grow bigger.

The best way to identify minor plumbing issues is to do a self-inspection at least once a month and call a professional once every year or more frequently if you suspect an issue.

2. Ignoring Signs of Plumbing Issues

It may come as a surprise to some, but a lot of homeowners ignore the signs of plumbing issues and put off getting them fixed for as long as possible, often without realizing that it could land them in big trouble. When you ignore the warning signs, you’re allowing minor plumbing issues to turn into full-blown disasters requiring costly repairs.

Read about Signs that Your House Needs Plumbing Repair to know when to call a plumber.

3. Throwing Food and Grease Down the Kitchen Sink

A lot of people detest doing the dishes. To get done with the task as quickly as possible, they often throw leftover foods and grease down the drain, thinking the garbage disposal will do its job. If you’re guilty of doing the same, let us tell you that this is one of the biggest plumbing mistakes one could make.

Throwing food scraps, bones, egg shells, ground coffee, tea leaves, and fat down the kitchen sink is one of the easiest ways to damage your pipes and garbage disposal. These items can damage the blades of the disposal system and clog the pipes and drain. So, always remove everything from dishes before throwing them into the kitchen sink. It will add another step to your dishwashing routine that you may already detest, but it’s worth it for your home’s plumbing system.

4. Be Careful of What You’re Dumping Into the Toilet

Throwing that toilet paper down the drain is fine, but stop there only. Don’t throw anything else into the toilet.

It may seem common knowledge to some, but flushing trash down the toilet is quite a common practice and one of the major reasons behind emergency plumbing service requests. The items people often flush down the toilet, thinking they will easily pass through the drain, include wipes, facial tissues, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, and even diapers. No matter what it says on their packaging, never let anything other than human waste and toilet paper down the toilet drain. These items can cause clogs and lead to a toilet backing up, so never flush them down the toilet.

5. Excessive Use of Harsh Chemicals

Throwing harsh chemicals down the pipes to fix slow drains and clogs is a common practice of homeowners. While doing this occasionally may not cause a problem, excessive use of chemicals is disastrous for the plumbing system. Also, most often than not, these chemical cleaners do not provide permanent fixes for drain clogs. They may get the water moving at the time when they are used, but the clogs will likely appear again shortly afterward, especially when there is a more significant issue further deep down the drain. If your drain seems to be clogging too frequently, it’s best to call a professional plumber to identify the underlying reason and find a permanent fix to it.

6. DIY Plumbing Repairs

Another common plumbing mistake homeowners make is attempting DIY plumbing repairs without the right knowledge and/or tools. Plumbing repairs aren’t always DIY-able; therefore, it’s best to leave them to professionals, especially when you do not have the know-how of plumbing systems. Otherwise, you will do more harm to your house’s plumbing than good and might even end up spending more money than you’re looking to save by not calling a professional.

It may not look like it, but plumbing systems are quite sensitive. Using the wrong products, tools, or even techniques can damage them, leading to more extensive and costly repairs. Therefore, unless you’re sure you can do those right, leave plumbing repairs to professionals.

7. Not Tightening the Fixtures Enough

Loose fixtures are the biggest cause of water leaks, which lead to water loss and damage. Although the fixture can loosen up due to frequent use and regular wear and tear, the issue is most commonly a result of failed or poor DIY attempts. It’s common for homeowners to think installing or replacing water fixtures is a simple task, and calling a professional for it is merely an extra expense. And while you may save some money initially by DIY-ing it, loose fixtures can cause you significant damage in the long run.

Keep Your Plumbing System Up and Running by Avoiding These Mistakes

You may not be able to avoid plumbing issues altogether (they are said to be part and parcel of plumbing systems), but you can minimize them to a great extent by avoiding these common plumbing mistakes on your part. These (wrong) practices may seem insignificant, but they can take a huge toll on your plumbing system, and avoiding them can keep it up and running for much longer than you may expect.

Image Credits

Photo by MART  PRODUCTION: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-wearing-white-bead-bracelet-7641411/