(Newswire.net — May 23, 2014) Durham, NC — For the most part everyone knows what should and should not go down the sink, drain, or toilet be occasionally we might forget. Plumbing is a serious issue and damage to the pipes can cause massive headaches for the homeowner.
Leaving hoses connected during the summer is not a problem. We get lazy and just leave it connected especially if there is a lawn or garden that gets watered regularly. The problem happens when it gets cold and those hoses are still connected. The hose can cause the outdoor faucet to freeze and even damage the pipes leading up to it.
Pouring too much drain cleaner down a slow drain. There is a recommended amount that should be listed on the bottle for usage, and if not looking it up online only takes a minute. Using too much can make the pipes corrode or make a clog worse, both of which are not an ideal solution.
Pouring various other chemicals and fats down the drain such as grease from bacon or oils from other foods. These should be disposed of correctly, it may not always be convenient but it will maintain the pipes and prevent a bigger problem from happening later down the road.
Using the toilet as a trash can. There is a commercial where a man is trying to clog his toilet so that the female plumber will come over and do some work. It’s funny to watch him try to flush all kinds of objects down the toilet, which never clogs. The reality of it is that while you may have a super strong toilet as in the commercial the pipes are not designed to be a black hole for garbage. Do not do this ever.
“Some of the worst clogs that we have had to clear usually comes from some foreign object. A toy or doll gets flushed accidentally and it clogs up the whole system. Sure there are other problems but throwing garbage down the drain sometimes causes a pipe to burst or a clog to form.” John Dietz, Owner of JD Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.