When it comes to maintaining a plumbing system, your plumber is your most important ally. You rely on your plumber’s expertise to help you keep your system in tip-top shape. And because they know their stuff, you don’t have to.
With that said, there are a few things that your plumber wishes you did know. If you memorize these lessons, you’ll be in a better position to work with your plumber and keep your home comfortable, functional, and safe.
Don’t put that in your pipes
There are a lot of things on store shelves that claim to be safe for your pipes. Take flushable wipes, for instance. Whether they are for babies or for adults, there are a ton of moist wipes out there that purport to be safe for toilets and plumbing systems. The problem? They’re not.
Products like these cause clogs all over the world. When you own your own home (or are otherwise responsible for your own plumbing system), that means that you’re the one who has to deal with the hassle and expenses of fixing a clog. And even if you dodge the bullet, you could be contributing to clogs that harm entire municipal sewer systems.
Maybe you reach for bottle of liquid that claims it will destroy clogs. Bad news: that liquid will destroy your pipes too. Even brand names like Drano and Liquid Plumber are not safe. These are corrosive chemicals, and they will wear away at your pipes and damage your plumbing system.
Here’s what you should flush: water, waste, and toilet paper. Everything else should stay out of your pipes.
You can’t fix that yourself
You’re good at a lot of things. You’ve studied hard, trained carefully, and succeeded in your chosen profession. You have hobbies. You have talents. But unless you’re a plumbing professional, you should put down that wrench.
Alright, sure, there are a few select jobs you can handle yourself. But you shouldn’t do much more than replace the toilet tank chain unless you’re ready to deal with the consequences and expenses of a botched plumbing job. And when we’re talking about your plumbing system, which deals with huge volumes of fresh water and plenty of dangerous wastewater, you can’t be too careful. There are plenty of plumbing projects that you should never, ever attempt by yourself.
Instead of asking your plumber to clean up after a disastrous DIY job done wrong, call them first. Let them handle the repair or maintenance project, even if you think you could do it yourself. It’s safer that way, and you can focus your DIY passions on a project that is less likely to flood your basement.
Don’t wait to call
It’s rare for anyone to be particularly thrilled to call a plumber. It means something has gone wrong, and it means that you need to have a professional come to your house to fix it. It means that you’ll have to be around to greet your plumber and let him or her in, and it means that you’ll need to spend money. But putting off that call is a very, very bad idea. Every bad thing about calling a plumber is going to get worse as you delay.
Remember, your plumbing system deals with huge amounts of water. There are pressure and temperature differences to handle, flow directions to maintain, and more. When you let an issue linger, the pressures your plumbing system has to handle will find that weak spot more quickly than you could imagine. Small leaks will become big ones. Pipes will bust. Flow directions will reverse dangerously. Rooms will be damaged by water. And in the end, you’ll end up paying more.
Here’s an alternative: call immediately. Get small repairs fixed, and get your seemingly healthy system inspected. Investing in sewer camera inspection services now could help you catch an issue early and save you a boatload of money in sewer line repairs or relining.
So do yourself a favor and call right away when you see any type of issue with your plumbing system. You’ll get a quick fix and a more reliable system, and you’ll avoid larger and more costly problems down the line.
