The Myths of Plumbing

The stories we tell ourselves to be worry-free become myths over time. Some of the most common ones in the plumbing industry centre around the fixtures, from the disposal of products to varying ways of saving money. Take toilets for example. One cost-saving plumbing myths involves the placement of a brick in the back of the toilet tank to reduce water usage on your monthly bill. While it may seem like a good idea, a kind of make-your-own low-flow toilet, the reality is bricks disintegrate and the crumbled brick bits get into the drain, creating problems. Also, while the brick is submerged in the tank it may damage moveable parts with each flush. Toilets do tend to be the star of many plumbing myths, particularly with the variety of items/products that people have been known to flush. Disposable wipes, for example, don’t break down easily and can clog drains. We’ve said this many times before – there is no such thing as a flushable wipe regardless of what the package says – no exceptions! Other items to add to the do-not-flush list include hygiene products, dental floss, cotton swabs, paper towel, kitty litter, and more. In fact, as a rule of thumb, consider that the toilet is not a garbage disposal. Only human waste and minimal toilet paper should be flushed. Another plumbing myth centres on disposal into sink drains. Coffee grounds, food waste, and cooking grease – really anything that has the potential to clog a drain – should be disposed of in the green bin or garbage instead. Hot water won’t dissolve grease. Like the old saying oil and water don’t mix, the same is true of grease and water. Hot grease will solidify, build up in the drainpipe and eventually cause a plumbing emergency when it clogs. It’s best to dispose of it in the green bin or garbage. A small mesh screen placed in the opening of the sink drain will catch all the food bits before they create plumbing problems. Sometimes drains can be smelly. Covering up the odour with nicer smelling products, or lemon peels, or chemical drain cleaners, won’t fix the problem. The smell is likely coming from material stuck in the drain. It needs to be cleaned out. Call us to to investigate and repair the problem. We have the expertise and the necessary tools, including a camera to pinpoint the location of the clog in the drain pipe. Myths also surround leaks, particularly small ones. A slow leak may not look like much water but it will still be reflected on your water bill and may be more expensive than you think. Small leaks don’t repair themselves or go away if you ignore them – just the opposite. Small leaks only get worse and along the way will start to create other problems such as mould. Ever hear loud sounds coming from your electric water heater? Perhaps it’s getting noisier and noisier when usually they run much quieter. It could be a build-up of sediment at the bottom of the water tank. It’s unlikely to explode but it should be looked at by a professional plumber. Plumbtech Plumbing Inc. offers a full range of services. Call 705-722-7209 today.