Top Five Plumbing Myths Explained

Many homeowners are concerned with the aesthetic quality of their house, but the responsible ones stay on top of maintenance and understand the fundamentals of their plumbing system. While some simple plumbing repairs (e.g. replacing a damaged faucet or unclogging the kitchen sink) can be done on your own, many call for a professional.

We might convince ourselves that we can handle “little fixes,” but if we’re guided by common plumbing problem myths, we might make costly errors. Home plumbing fallacies could result in damaged pipes and require other expensive fixture replacements. Here, we dispel some of these myths:

• It’s okay to flush garbage – Flushing items other than the human waste down the toilet may lead to a costly job. When the toilet clogs, stagnant water could overflow, damage tile and other flooring, and require a nasty clean up.
• Ground lemons freshen and clean the disposal – While it is true that lemon can combat unpleasant smell, its citric acid might corrode the metal surface of your garbage disposal. To effectively clean the garburator, throw in some ice cubes to clean and sharpen its blade. Baking soda can also remove odour.
• Chemical drain cleaners easily remove clogs – Many people are inclined to believe commercial advertisements singing the praises of harsh, chemical clog cleaners. The problem with these products is they dissolve the clog — and eat the pipe.
• A leaky faucet is a minor problem – Unfortunately, some people do not bother fixing a dripping faucet. Not only does a leaky faucet waste hundreds of gallons of water; it increases the water bill exponentially. Water shortage is a major global problem; saving this precious resource with a quick repair is an investment in the future.

If you want straight facts about your home plumbing system, we have them. Please call Abbey Plumbing and Mechanical at (905) 822-0521. We have experienced and licensed plumbers to help you with your maintenance and repair needs.