Plumbing Tips for Your Home You Might Not Know

The last thing you want to do is some damage to your home when you could easily avoid it.

Here are some plumbing tips you might not know that could save you some trouble.

1. Plungers can damage your toilet

Toilets are sealed to the floor with a wax ring. When you use a plunger, the air movement and increase in pressure can damage the wax ring and cause your toilet to leak.

It’s also possible that the issue you’re trying to fix is further down the line and not in your toilet. In that case, a plunger will not fix the problem and you risk creating a new issue with a leaking toilet.

If you want to try and resolve it on your own, you can purchase a Closet Auger, which is a flexible metal rod made of spring-like material for clearing clogs in toilets.

2. Don’t pour grease down your kitchen drain

You might have heard this one before, but you might not know just how quickly this can cause problems.

Grease is a liquid while hot but solidifies when it cools. And solid items will clog your pipes. Allow the pan to cool then wipe the grease out with paper towels to ensure as little grease as possible goes down the drain when you wash the pan.

3. Drain cleaners are not the answer

If you do run into any drain issues, don’t rely on liquid drain cleaners to solve your problem.

If the drain is clogged to the point that you notice it, there’s usually water between you and the source of the clog. And any drain cleaner you pour down will likely sit on top of the water and not reach the actual issue.

In addition, acid-based drain cleaners can harm your pipes and fixtures and present a potential hazard if they spray back up from the drain.

For more information, see How to Clear Clogged Drains (And What Not to Do)

4. Don’t flush wet wipes down the toilet

The only item you should ever flush down the toilet, other than waste, is toilet paper.

It doesn’t matter if it’s advertised as flushable. It’s not. It will cause issues in your drain system.

5. Bad smells could be from idle plumbing

P-traps are drain pipes designed in the shape of a “P” that has fallen over. The shape is designed to trap a small amount of water in the pipe, preventing sewer odors from coming back up the drain.

And P-traps can dry up if not used frequently. So if you notice a sewer smell, run the faucets, flush the toilet, and turn the shower on to ensure it just hasn’t been sitting for too long. Overall, it’s not good for your plumbing system to not get used.

6. Sometimes a clogged drain is actually a septic issue

If you’re on a septic system, you should have the septic tank pumped every 3-5 years. If the septic tank is not pumped, it can cause a clog and sewage could back up into your home.

So if you’re on septic and have a clogged drain, it could be a septic issue. Rather than trying to resolve the clog, you’re better off seeing if you have a septic tank issue first.

Your Call

Now that you have the right information, you can either tackle a project or problem yourself, keep an eye out for upcoming issues, or know the right time to call for help.

It’s your home. It’s your decision.

If you do need help, you can reach us at 770.560.1792 or book online.