Plumbing repairs can be expensive and are always something you want to try to avoid. While certain issues like leaks can result from age, corrosion or high water pressure, many problems occur simply because people don’t use their plumbing correctly or don’t take steps to protect it.
Flushing Things You Shouldn’t
When it comes to your toilets and sewer system, you should never flush anything but waste and toilet paper. Flushing paper towels, cotton pads, wet wipes, feminine hygiene products, and anything else that does not belong in the toilet is a recipe for disaster.
All these things can clog the toilet, but the bigger concern is that they often don’t flow all the way out of your house’s sewer line and can create a blockage that leads to the line clogging. If your sewer line clogs, you’ll then have to deal with the nasty mess of sewage backing up and coming out of some of your drains. In case of a major blockage, you may even be left with no option but to have a plumbing company dig up your yard and replace part of your sewer line.
In terms of sewer line clogs, two of the biggest culprits are wet wipes and feminine hygiene products. One major issue is that many companies falsely market their wet wipes as flushable when they really aren’t. The problem is that the wipes stay fully intact when flushed, unlike toilet paper, which breaks up into smaller pieces that easily flow out of the sewer line.
Pouring Fat, Oil, or Grease Down the Drain
If you regularly pour fat, oil, or grease down the drain, you can be almost certain that you’ll eventually end up with major sewer line issues. One problem professional plumbers encounter fairly frequently is so-called FOG (fat, oil, and grease) clogs, also known as fatbergs. This type of issue results from these fatty substances adhering to the inside of drain and sewer pipes, creating a sticky coating that traps food scraps, toilet paper, and hair. This then results in a blockage that prevents everything from draining properly and causes a major clog to form.
Using Chemical Drain Cleaner for Clogs
Clogged sinks, toilets, and shower drains are something you may encounter from time to time, and the first thing many people do in this situation is use chemical drain cleaner to try to resolve the issue. Chemical drain cleaners are highly effective at dissolving organic materials like food, hair, fat, grease, and soap scum, but the reason they work so well is that they are highly corrosive.
The chemicals are so caustic that they can also start eating into PVC and metal pipes and dissolving the glue that holds PVC pipes together, creating the potential for the pipes to leak. Some products also produce a chemical reaction when they mix with water that releases heat, which can result in PVC pipes warping.
If you cannot unclog the drain with a plunger, your best option is to call a plumber for professional drain cleaning. Using a pipe snake is another option for clearing clogs. However, this is something you should try yourself only if you have experience using a snake. It is easy to cause damage to your plumbing and make the situation worse if you do not have the skills to use this method correctly.
Improper Garbage Disposal Use
Despite their name, garbage disposals aren’t designed to be used like a second trash can. Instead, their primary purpose is to grind up any food scraps that get washed down the drain to prevent clogs. It’s generally OK to put some of the vegetable and fruit scraps you produce when prepping food down your garbage disposal, as long as you chop them up into small pieces and don’t put too many in at once. But never put any type of meat, raw or cooked, or anything starchy or fibrous into a garbage disposal, as it will commonly result in a clog.
The biggest things to avoid are pastas, grains, nuts, legumes, onion peels, eggshells, celery, and squash. Pouring coffee grounds down the drain is also a bad idea, with or without a garbage disposal. Hard items like fruit pits, bones, and nut shells should never go into a garbage disposal because they will damage the blades and most likely cause a clog.
Ignoring a Dripping Faucet or Running Toilet
Many homeowners think that a dripping faucet or toilet that frequently runs is nothing more than a minor annoyance, but the truth is that all the water that these issues waste really adds up. A dripping faucet typically wastes anywhere from 30 to 150 gallons of water a month. A running toilet, on the other hand, can waste anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand gallons a year, resulting in higher water bills.
Fixing a dripping faucet is complicated, as it involves taking the faucet apart and replacing one or more of the internal components. While you could do it yourself, you could make things worse and need to replace the entire faucet if you’re not experienced.
Fixing a running toilet is sometimes fairly easy that you may be able to do yourself, depending on the specific issue that’s causing it to run. For instance, it may just be that you need to readjust the chain or replace the flapper. The problem could also be related to the fill valve, in which case it’s best to call a plumber.
Not Winterizing Outdoor Plumbing
Freezing temperatures during the winter in the Cleveland, OH area mean it’s crucial that you properly winterize your hose bibs and any other outdoor plumbing. Failing to do so can easily result in the fixture freezing and the pipe that supplies it bursting, causing major flooding inside your house.
Winterizing your outdoor plumbing takes only a few minutes and can save you the major hassle and expense of having to repair all the water damage from a burst pipe. The first step is to disconnect any hoses to make sure you can fully drain each fixture. You then need to go into your basement or crawl space and locate the shutoff valve for each fixture, which should be just inside the wall from where the fixture is outside.
After fully closing each valve, turn on each fixture until no more water drips out, and then shut the fixture back off. If you have a valve that seems stuck, you can try to spray it with lubricant to see if that loosens it up. If that doesn’t work, the best option is to call a plumber. The worst thing you can do is use too much pressure and break the pipe.
Contact Your Local Plumbers
Anderson Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric has been serving Mentor and the Greater Cleveland area for more than 40 years and is the name to trust for reliable plumbing services and solutions. We specialize in the full range of plumbing, drain and sewer services and are always ready to help when any issues arise. From repairs to drain cleaning and trenchless sewer repairs, we can expertly handle all your plumbing needs.
Contact our team at Anderson Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced plumbers.
