One of the actions I try to take whenever I’m helping a homeowner with plumbing problems is to educate them on common mistakes they make that then have to be fixed by a plumber. In this area, a little prevention goes a long way and can save you a significant amount of money.
Let’s look at three ways you can keep your plumbing happy and avoid calls to your plumber.
Mistake Number 1: Pouring Hot Grease Down the Sink Drain
When you’re finished cooking and you have a pan loaded with grease, never ever pour that hot grease down the drain. You’ve got a curved trap under the sink that catches things like your wedding rings if they ever fall down the drain but it also catches grease. When the grease is hot, it can solidly plug this trap.
This kind of mistake happens a lot over the holidays when someone else is cooking in your kitchen. Just make sure that anyone helping out in the kitchen knows the rules.
You don’t have the same problem with cold grease because it’s sort of already gelled. But find another place to get rid of hot grease. You can let it cool completely and then put it in a sealed container. Then dispose of this container in the trash.
Mistake Number 2: Turning Your Water Heater All the Way Up
Maybe you want to be able to run the hot water longer so you turn the temperature of your water heater to maximum. This is a mistake because if the water gets too hot, the temperature pressure relief valve will open and the hot water will be lost.
If you need more hot water, consider getting a larger water heater or a tankless water heater. Sometimes as a family grows or there are more visitors to the home, the size of the water heater has to expand with the family.
If you have not been maintaining your water heater, having it checked over could also improve your supply of hot water. Simply eliminating a buildup of minerals inside your water heater can improve the water temperature without changing the setting.
Mistake Number 3: Flushing the Wrong Things Down the Toilet
We all know that accidents happen and that sometimes a toy or other item gets flushed down the toilet. What is far more common is that people intentionally flush items that should not be flushed. Like these, for example:
- Flushable wipes (they may be flushable but they don’t dissolve like toilet paper.)
- Tampons
- Extra strong toilet paper
The older your sewer lines, the more careful you must be. Newer sewage lines may be able to handle some of these items for a while. As they age, these less-flushable items can get stuck and start making problems. If your plumbing is pretty aged, teach children and visitors to put only toilet paper down the toilet.
We’re Ready to Help If You Ever Run Into Plumbing Problems
We know exactly how vital it is that your plumbing works all the time. That’s why we take your calls 24 hours a day. Our technicians are ready to respond to your call rapidly. When your plumbing is not working the way it should, call us day or night at (505) 243-1227. We’ll be there in a flash to make your plumbing work right again.