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You might have heard it from your mom, your grandmother or the grandmother of your family friend. So you do it.
We clean plumbing fixtures with water and hand soap, flush things down the toilet if it can be flushed.
But the truth is, there are many myths handed down from one generation to the next that have no scientific basis.
When followed, these do-it-yourself plumbing idea fixes can cause more trouble than good.
It can damage pipes and plumbing systems that would require the help of professional plumbers in Melbourne CBD to fix and ultimately, cost you expensive repairs.
Here are some of those myths people still follow and waste money on:
“It’s just a small leak…it doesn’t really matter.”
Or so we were told by our parents when we complain of “minor” leaks in our homes. But a leak, no matter how small, is not just an annoyance.
It may seem like a small thing, but when done collectively by around 10 million homes, it could waste approximately 1 trillion gallons of water each year—that’s a serious amount of water.
Water conservation is a big concern today because of insufficient water supply around the world. To keep on stalling the repair of that leak is a blatant disregard to the environment. On a personal level, it will also be money down the drain because you’d be paying for something you didn’t really use.
Besides, the drip won’t stop until you get it fixed no matter of how tight you turn off your tap.
If all it takes is water and soap to clean toilet bowls, kitchen sinks and other plumbing fixtures, then why do taps corrode even though you leave a bit of soapy water on it whenever you wash your hands?
Soaps, no matter how mild, can corrode fixtures, especially brass plumbing fixtures. It can damage the surface, making them bubble and peel off. Toilet bowls need to be cleaned with a stronger disinfectant to kill bacteria effectively.
Remember: lifetime warranties on plumbing products become void when the finish of the fixture has been damaged by soap.
Although the toilet can take human waste and toilet paper, that’s just about all it can take.
People mistakenly think they could also flush wet wipes, facial tissues and the like down their toilet. However, these types of tissue or paper, have been designed to absorb moisture and stay together even when wet. It will not disintegrate on its way to the sewer.
Over time, it will clog up your sewer system and cost you expensive repairs.
Another thing you should not flush is pharmaceutical products. It might not clog up your toilet, yes, but the chemicals it contains get pumped into groundwater, rivers and lakes and contaminate it. Even wastewater treatment plants cannot remove all the chemicals in drugs.
There are many things you can’t flush down the toilet. But to keep things simple, if it’s not human waste or toilet paper, don’t flush it.
If you notice early signs of clogging like a slow-moving disposal, it’s best to stop using it to avoid further damage. Call a plumber in Melbourne to get it in working order again.
A lot of people imagine that if they accidentally drop a bar of soap down the toilet or drain, it will result to immediate blockage and a deluge of water flooding their homes.
But it doesn’t work that way. Blockages happen because of scum, hair, dirt, oil from our bodies, etc. that build up over time. They stick to your pipes (much like how cholesterol builds up and stick to arteries) and narrow down your drain.
It takes many months, years before you see standing water in your sink. If you disregard it, it will eventually block your drain and require extensive drain cleaning later on.
Just because plumbing fixtures are as cold as steel and as hard as a boulder doesn’t mean they don’t need maintenance.
Like every part of your home, plumbing needs a little TLC every now and then. Fixtures inside homes and pipes need to be inspected for obstruction (tree roots, shifting home foundations, clogs). Otherwise, you risk running into serious problems that would need pipe or sewer line replacement.
You will save money in the long run and avoid emergencies and disasters if you get annual plumbing maintenance checks over your property to identify potential problems before they occur.
If you are, then it’s likely you have a plumbing problem. Whether it’s a blockage or something else would be hard to determine without consulting qualified and licensed Melbourne plumbers. If you're in Melbourne CBD call 0418 831 313 so we could help accurately diagnose the problem and get it working again for you.
