Things Your Doing That Can Damage Your Plumbing System

Your plumbing is an important component of your home, and you can easily damage your plumbing even while trying to fix it. Often well-intentioned repairs of small leaks can lead to much worse problems down the line. Please read on to learn of seven ways you can damage your plumbing.

1. Hoses Still Connected in Winter

One of the things that should be packed away when fall and winter come around is the garden hoses. Leaving them connected in winter can cause leaks in both the hose and the pipe itself. Turning off the water to the outside and disconnecting the garden hoses should be one of your yearly rituals.

2. Overuse of Chemical Drain Cleaners

Liquid drain cleaners promise a quick fix for your clogged drains, but can easily lead to ruining a plumbing system. These harsh chemicals don’t work as well as advertised, and often spark exothermic reactions. The heat generated by these reactions can easily damage your pipes, or worse, and can be bad for the environment.

3. Pouring Grease Down the Drain

After frying up that pan of bacon it is tempting to pour that grease down the drain. However, doing so can coat the pipes and cause clogs down the line. This can cause clogs in both your pipes and municipal pipes.

4. Flushing Anything Besides Toilet Paper

Your toilet does not double as a garbage can and you should never flush anything besides toilet paper. Never flush things like paper towels, baby wipes, or feminine hygiene products, even if labeled as flushable. These products are more likely to cause clogs and damage your plumbing.

5. Tackling A Plumbing Job Yourself

Hiring a plumber to fix plumping problems can be expensive. However, attempting to save money by doing the job yourself can make things much worse. Mistakes such as over-tightening, leaving the water on, or joining two different types of metal pipes are far more likely if you don’t have the right training.

6. Not Fixing Minor Leaks

Minor leaks can lead to bigger problems down the line. Even the smallest leak can be the precursor for something much worse and you need to be on the lookout for them. As soon as you notice a leak, call your plumber!

7. Not Preparing Pipes For Freezing

When you live in places that can reach below freezing, you need to takes precautions to prevent burst pipes. Having insulation installed can help immensely, especially when pipes run along an exterior wall or places like the garage that may be unheated. Not preparing for winter is one of the biggest ways you can damage your plumbing.

Many Things Can Damage Your Plumbing

The biggest way you can damage your plumbing is by not calling your plumber. You can’t leave something as important as your plumbing to chance, and doing it yourself can lead to much bigger problems down the line.

Enjoy this article? Then don’t forget to contact All A’s Plumbing and Heating today for a consultation on all of your plumbing and heating needs.