6 Common Home Plumbing Mistakes to Avoid
A clogged garbage disposal, a clogged sink, a dripping faucet, or a toilet that keeps running –These are just the tip of a long list of common plumbing problems that many housholds experience. Over the months we have posted a series of DIY tips and tricks to help you remedy the more simple plumbing problems that can occure. It’s one thing to phone a plumber because something is wrong with the plumbing, and it’s another thing to cause the problem yourself. Sometimes homeowners don’t realize they are doing the wrong kind of thing until it’s too late. These common plumbing mistakes are a good place to start the last thing you want to do is make one these seven home plumbing errors.
1. Too Many Fixtures
The first issue that many people overlook is using too many plumbing fixtures. If you face low water pressure around the home, using too many fixtures may make the problem worse. Crowded residential areas usually experience low water pressure and if that is the case, restrict the amount of plumbing fixtures in the home, unless of course you are sure that the mains can tackle all of them.
2. Hard to Reach Clean Outs
Many homeowners don’t provide adequate room around clean outs, which may keep them from clearing blocked pipes. If there is no clean out or not enough free space around it, you will have to tumble down the whole plumbing system if a pipe gets clogged. For this reason, allowing enough space for a clean out is a must.
3. Not Enough Space
Many homeowners don’t plan their plumbing system ahead of time. As a result, they often forget to provide enough space between plumbing fixtures and appliances. The end result may be very bad. For example, you don’t want the bathtub too close to the toilet or it will be uncomfortable for you to use both of them.
4. Throwing Inappropriate Materials Down the Drain
Another plumbing mistake people often make is dumping inappropriate items down the drain, thinking they will just get absorbed by water. What happens next is they have to call a plumber because the sink gets blocked. Construction materials are hard and they may clog the drains. Unfortunately, a drain cleaner cannot get these out. If you don’t want to hire a qualified technician to unblock your sink, find a better way to dispose of your building materials and waste.
5. Flushing Inappropriate Things Down the Toilet
While it’s common sense to keep toys and other bizarre things out of the toilet, still many plumbers are summoned to properties to deal with this kind of situation. It’s more common for families with kids to experience this problem because children tend to throw stuff in the toilet all the time. If you accidentally flush an inappropriate item down the toilet, it may get stuck, making it impossible to retrieve without removing the toilet.
6. Pushing a Faucet Handle With a Leak
Another common mistake is breaking a faucet while trying to turn it off. If your faucet is dripping, applying too much pressure on the handle will not stop the drip. It’s not about strength; it’s about relevant knowledge and appropriate skills. If there is a leak, you need to call in a qualified technician to fix it. Cranking on the faucet handle can break it, causing further problems.
To keep a well-functioning plumbing system, just make sure to steer clear of these six common plumbing mistakes.
