9 Habits That Ruin Your Plumbing

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You may not realize it, but the most serious threat to your plumbing is most likely you—and your lousy habits, which cause havoc with your drains and pipes.

You might be putting your plumbing at risk and costing yourself thousands of dollars in repairs if you throw the incorrect stuff down the garbage disposal or do a poor DIY job.

Do you want to avoid making a costly plumbing error?

To avoid a plumbing emergency, stop doing these nine things.

Using Liquid Drain Cleaners:

Pipes are harmed by liquid drain cleaners.

When you have a clogged drain, resist the urge to use liquid drain cleaners since they promise a rapid resolution.

Not only are these treatments only marginally effective, but they often include harsh chemicals that can generate heat, causing pipe breaks, or react with existing corrosion, causing deadly chemical reactions.

Flushing Foreign Objects:

Garbage flushing causes toilet damage.

Treating your toilet like a garbage can will almost certainly result in blockages, obstructions, and a hefty plumber bill.

Avoid flushing foreign materials like feminine hygiene products, paper towels, baby wipes, and anything else that isn’t toilet paper to safeguard your plumbing.

Fixing the Things on Your Own:

Do You Think You Can Handle a Major Plumbing Project?

Don’t attempt large-scale plumbing tasks on your own.

We understand that professional plumbers are costly, but that doesn’t mean you should attempt a major plumbing project on your own.

A novice DIYer might make costly blunders such as connecting two different metal pipes, overtightening connections or forgetting to turn off the water before beginning a job.

Before you start on a complicated DIY project, ask for bids from several reputable plumbers, then choose one of them to solve your water problems.

Pouring GreaseDown the Drain

The worst thing you can do to your pipes after cooking a sizzling skillet of bacon is poured the oil down the drain. Why? Because the fat from the grease coats the pipes and builds up over time, causing a massive clog—possibly at home as well as in city-owned pipes.

Using Toilet Fresheners Tabs:

Toilet freshener tabs that are dropped into the toilet cause damage to the pipes.

Drop-in toilet fresheners are a convenient and mess-free way to clean your toilet bowl, but they can also harm the inside components of your tank. Because the chlorine in the tablet might cause corrosion to the gaskets and washers as it dissolves, it’s best to stick to good old-fashioned toilet scouring.

Using the Garbage Disposal to Dispose of Potato Skins:

Peeling potatoes over the sink makes the job go faster, but don’t put them down the garbage disposal since you’ll end up with a thick, starchy mess that will block your pipes. To avoid a mess, toss the peels into the compost pile, where they will decompose into healthy fertilizer for your plants.

Not Taking Precautions against Freezing Pipes:

Protect pipes from freezing temperatures by insulating them.

If you live in an area where the temperature drops below freezing, it’s critical to take the necessary steps to avoid water freezing in your pipes, which can cause them to expand and break. Insulation is one of the primary lines of defense against burst pipes.

Heat tape and water leak alarms may be useful for pipes that run along an exterior wall or through unheated areas of the house, such as the garage.

Leaving Hoses Connected in winter:

It’s crucial to not only pack away the patio furniture and grill when the summer days are over but also to disconnect the garden hoses and turn off the water to outdoor taps.

If a garden hose is left connected to the tap all winter and freezes, it can produce cracks in the hose and pipe, resulting in a very leaky future for your home—both inside and out.

If the weather in your area is really cold, you might want to consider covering the naked spigot with an insulating cap to provide extra protection.

Not Replacing Water Heater:

A typical water heater has an 8-12 year lifespan, however, tankless water heaters can last up to 20 years.

Regardless of whatever type of water heater you have, if you haven’t changed it by its usual expiration date, you could be risking an expensive leak as well as greater energy costs.

Look for symptoms that the appliance isn’t working properly, such as a decline in water temperature or knocking noises, and learn about elements that could shorten the appliance’s lifespan.

So these are the things you should avoid to keep your plumbing system long-lasting. One more thing, if any problem occurs which is beyond your DIY expertise, don’t hesitate to call a professional plumber. At Hays NYC, we provide plumbing service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This makes our technicians available at your convenience for non-emergency plumbing issues and immediately available to address emergencies. You can have confidence in the quality and value of HAYS-NYC plumbing services.

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