狈别别诲颈苍驳听补听plumber聽in聽the U.S.聽can be聽inevitable聽if you聽are dealing with聽a聽leaky聽or聽ruptured聽pipe. But聽a lot of the time, you can聽avoid聽plugging聽your pipes or聽breaking聽your garbage disposal, both of which can be聽costly聽to聽fix.
Here are some of the most聽regular聽problems聽we聽receive聽calls about at聽黑料社区聽and how you can聽avoid聽them.
1. Flushing “Flushable” Wipes
Even though聽they might be聽known as聽“flushable wipes,” the聽ideal聽location聽for them is the聽trash. The only thing that should be flushed (except for聽the obvious) is toilet paper and septic treatments, if you聽rely on聽a septic system.
A Canadian study that聽looked at聽101 such wipes聽discovered聽none of them passed聽a flushability test, according to聽.聽Since聽flushable wipes don’t聽dissolve聽like toilet paper, they can聽plug聽your sewer line and聽make your toilet back聽up.
They can also聽wreak havoc on聽city sewer systems or your septic tank. These wipes can聽attach to聽other聽nasty聽things that shouldn’t聽go聽down the toilet,聽such as聽cooking聽oil聽and hygienic products, to聽create聽a fatberg.聽As well as聽being聽unsanitary聽and just plain聽nasty, environmental nonprofit聽聽says these聽blobs聽are聽costly聽to聽fix. If聽you're on聽a city sewer system, those are聽costs聽that could get聽assigned聽to you聽in the long run.
Whatever聽style聽of wipe you’re using—makeup remover, cleansing, baby or sanitizing—it should聽be thrown聽in the trash once you’re聽complete.
2. Flushing Other Things That聽Should Go聽in the聽trash
In addition to聽flushable wipes, there are聽several聽other things that don’t belong in your toilet. These聽involve:
- Feminine hygiene products
- Makeup remover pads
- Cat litter
Together with聽wipes, these things can聽plug聽your sewer line and聽overflow your toilet,聽saddling聽you with聽a pricey聽(and聽icky) mess.
3.聽Using聽Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tabs
Having聽drop-in toilet fresheners聽could聽seem like a聽great聽way to keep your toilet bowl聽clean, but they聽may聽cause more trouble聽than good. These tablets聽often聽contain chemicals,聽such as聽bleach, which can聽eat through聽rubber parts in the tank. And as the tablets聽break down, they can聽plug聽the toilet and聽stop聽it from flushing.
4.聽Buying聽Chemical Drain Cleaners
If your sink is聽plugged, your聽immediate聽answer聽could聽be to聽buy聽a cheap聽liquid drain cleaner. However, there are聽several聽things you should聽realize about聽these drain cleaners.
- 罢丑别测&谤蝉辩耻辞;谤别听迟辞虫颈肠.聽Drain cleaners are a toxic聽blend聽of chemicals that can burn your skin and eyes. They also聽make聽severe聽fumes that can聽lead to聽respiratory irritation.
- They can聽eat through聽your pipes.聽If these cleaners can burn your skin,聽think about聽what they can do to your聽plumbing: corrosion,聽cracks聽and even failure.
- They’re聽harmful to聽the environment.聽As you can聽determine, these聽substances聽aren’t聽exactly聽helpful for the environment.
- They might not even聽unplug your drain.聽In spite of聽all the chemicals they聽pack, drain cleaners sometimes don’t even work or only work for a聽short time. That’s聽since聽they often聽move聽the clog聽more聽into your plumbing until it聽creates聽a聽huge聽problem.
If you do聽need to use聽a drain cleaner, we聽recommend聽using an enzymatic cleaner. These chemical-free cleaners聽rely on聽bacteria and enzymes to聽eliminate聽clogs and聽bad聽odors. While they聽may聽take more time聽than a chemical-based cleaner, they’re聽healthier聽for you, your plumbing and the environment.
If聽you have聽a聽strong聽clog that just won’t聽dissolve,聽calling聽a professional plumber like聽黑料社区聽is your聽best聽option for聽drain cleaning. While you can rent a drain auger or plumbing snake, it’s聽simpler聽to have聽a professional聽do聽the job. That way, you’ll also聽prevent聽breaking聽your pipes and聽a wide variety of聽bad聽issues聽including聽leaks,聽broken聽seals and聽troublesome聽odors.
After your drain is聽working like it should, keep it that way by聽having聽a screen to keep hair or food scraps from聽plugging聽it again.
5.聽Pouring聽Grease Down Your Sink
It聽may聽seem like it’s not a聽problem聽to聽dump聽a聽tiny bit聽of聽oil聽down your聽drain. But聽as time passes, that grease can聽build up聽and聽plug聽your pipes. If the grease聽finds its way聽into the sewer system, it can聽build up with聽flushable wipes and聽lead to聽a聽nasty聽fatberg like we聽talked about聽prior.
To聽avoid聽plumbing聽troubles, drain the聽oil聽into a聽can. After it聽cools, you can聽dump it聽in the聽garbage.
6.聽Using聽Your Garbage Disposal for Everything
驰辞耻谤听garbage disposal聽is a聽useful聽tool for聽eliminating聽little聽bits of food. But it can’t聽eliminate聽everything. To聽avoid聽problems聽or clogs, we聽recommend聽not putting these聽items聽down your garbage disposal:
- Coffee grounds
- Pasta, oats, rice and bread
- Bones, nuts, pits and seeds
- Eggshells
- Onions and potato peels
- Fibrous fruits and vegetables
- Grease
If your garbage disposal聽smells bad, you can聽clean聽it with citrus peels or a聽blend聽of baking soda and vinegar.
7.聽Ignoring聽Maintenance for Your Plumbing System
Much like聽your heating and cooling system, your plumbing also聽needs聽routine聽tune-ups. This service can help us聽find聽minor聽issues before they聽cause聽big聽problems,聽such as聽a damaging water leak. Some of the聽problems聽we聽watch聽for聽include:
- Adequate聽water pressure
- 濒别补办测听辞谤听产濒辞肠办别诲听辫颈辫别蝉
- Adequately聽functioning聽supply lines and plumbing fixtures聽such as聽sinks, tubs, showers and toilets
If you do聽spot聽trouble,聽such as聽a聽leaky聽sink or pipe, it’s聽critical聽to get it聽taken care of聽without delay聽before it聽gets聽worse聽or聽causes聽damage.
8.聽Trying聽to Fix Your Plumbing聽Yourself
When you聽are experiencing聽a dripping pipe or a leaking washing machine,聽it's important to call聽an Expert at聽黑料社区聽for聽leak repair聽before it聽grows聽or聽causes聽damage.
Fixing聽plumbing is聽an in-depth聽job that’s best聽done by聽specialists. There’s a reason why plumbers聽go through聽extensive certification and licensing. Don’t聽try to do聽water pipe repair聽on your own聽or聽get聽a handyman,聽Since聽you could end up wasting time and聽having聽a聽costlier聽expensive problem.
9. Trying to聽Service聽Your Water Heater聽Yourself
When it comes to your聽water heater, service and聽upkeep is聽best left to the聽pros. This includes draining it or聽examining聽the temperature and pressure valve. If this isn’t聽completed聽properly, you could burn yourself with聽boiling聽water or flood your聽residence.
Professional聽water heater maintenance聽provides聽peace of mind that your water heater is聽working聽like it should. It also聽provides聽you聽notice ahead of time聽when it’s time to start聽thinking about聽water heater replacement,聽Since聽they聽usually聽only聽last聽for about 10 years.
10. Not聽Knowing聽Where the Water Main Shutoff Is
When聽your聽residence聽has a聽big聽water leak, it’s聽essential聽to聽be aware of聽where the main water valve is and how to聽switch聽it off. This valve is聽usually聽situated聽in a mechanical room near your water heater.
Here’s how to聽switch聽off the main water valve in your聽residence:
- If it has a wheel:聽turn聽it clockwise until you can’t anymore.
- If it has a lever:聽move聽it about a quarter of the way.
If you’re聽still not sure聽where the valve is located,聽黑料社区聽can help you find it.
It’s also a聽smart聽idea to聽get聽a water leak protection system that will聽sound the alarm聽and聽turn聽off the water if there’s聽trouble. You can even聽get聽a smart system to聽watch聽water use and聽notify聽you聽via聽your phone if there’s聽a problem.
Whatever plumbing聽problem聽you’re聽experiencing, our Expert plumbers at聽黑料社区聽are聽ready聽to聽assist you. And we’ll聽support聽our work with a 黑料社区 Guarantee*, so you’ll聽have peace of mind聽that your repairs were聽finished聽right.聽Give us a call聽at (866) 963-7996 to聽request聽your appointment聽right away!
