A Look At Some Common Plumbing Maintenance Mistakes

A Look At Some Common Plumbing Maintenance Mistakes

A Look At Some Common Plumbing Maintenance Mistakes

Your plumbing is an intricate system of fixtures, drains, and pipes. Maintaining your plumbing isn’t difficult, but there are a few common mistakes homeowners often make without realizing they are damaging their plumbing in the process. If you run into an issue you can’t solve, contact your Tucson plumber for help.

Misusing the Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal makes cleaning up after meals a snap. However, your disposal is limited in the types of foods it can safely handle without a problem. Certain foods can gum up the blades or congeal inside your pipes, affecting the performance of your disposal and drain. Knowing which foods your disposal can handle—and which foods you should never put down your disposal—can help you avoid these common plumbing problems.

Using Chemical Drain Cleaners

Chemical drain cleaners contain caustic chemicals that can damage your plumbing fixtures and pipes if you overuse them. Rather than these harsh chemicals, you can use a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar to clear a stubborn clog. Alternatively, try plunging a slow drain, which removes the clog material via suction. If you are having trouble clearing a clog, notify your plumber—he can help you solve the issue without damaging your pipes in the process.

Flushing Trash Down the Toilet

Your toilet can look like a tempting way to handle trash such as paper towels, tissues, dental floss, baby wipes, bandages, cigarettes, packaging materials, and cat litter. However, a toilet’s drain is not designed to handle any of these items, and flushing trash will only result in a plumbing clog that causes the toilet to back up. Never flush any manmade material except for toilet paper; keeping a trash can next to your toilet can remove the temptation to flush other items.

Silverado Rooter & Plumbing can help you avoid or correct these common plumbing mistakes and more in Tucson. Call us today at (520) 696-0000 to speak with an experienced plumber about drain cleaning and repair. You can find additional plumbing information and tips on our website.