4 of the Most Common Plumbing Mistakes You Could Be Making

Taking care of your plumbing system is important, but sometimes homeowners can unwittingly do more harm than good without realizing it. Here are four of the most common plumbing mistakes people make, so you can avoid them and keep your plumbing in tip top shape:

Throwing trash into the toilet (or food waste down a kitchen sink)

Say it with us: it’s not a garbage bin. Toilets are designed to whisk away human waste and toilet paper, and not anything else. Flushing additional objects such as diapers, tampons and even “flushable wipes” can affect your septic system, and lead to a clogged or overflowing toilet. In a similar vein, it’s important to ensure you have a hair trap in your shower or bath to prevent clogging your drains. And unless you have a purpose-built disposal unit in your kitchen sink, never throw bits of discarded produce, oil and grease, or even coffee grounds down the drain, as these can likewise cause blockages.

Settling for improper or temporary fixes

When you encounter a clogged drain, it can be tempting to reach for chemical drain cleaner. However, they work by eating away at whatever’s causing the blockage, and overuse can lead to corroded pipes as well. If you’re frequently experiencing drain blockages, call a plumber who can get to the root of the problem for you. It is important to use the right tools for the job so as not to damage your plumbing system and fixtures in the long run. Macgyvering a DIY solution may seem to resolve a problem in the short term, but without getting to the root of the plumbing issue, you can end up paying a lot more down the line. Certain plumbing fixes also require the right skills and knowledge, such as the right amount of pressure to apply so it doesn’t stress your plumbing infrastructure or cause breakage, or understanding when something needs to be replaced entirely.

Weighing down or overcrowding your fixtures

Plumbing fixtures are not designed to bear significant amounts of weight – your shower caddy may seem convenient, but when it’s filled with large bottles of soap, shampoo and conditioner, the pressure on your shower head can lead to cracks, leaks, or the fixture simply getting pulled off the wall. An experienced plumber can also help to ensure you have a plumbing system that fits well with your dream home design, without causing unforeseen problems. Too many fixtures can lead to low water pressure across the house for example, while not leaving enough room for your pipes can make maintenance and repair more difficult in the future.

Not calling a licensed plumber

When it comes to plumbing, it’s important to trust the professionals. There are so many moving parts to your home’s drainage system, and while something can look easy on the surface, there might be a lot more to it than you expect. Unless you’re trained in what you’re attempting, call a plumber so you don’t accidentally turn a small problem into a much bigger one. If you experience plumbing issues, remember that they won’t go away on their own, so don’t ignore a problem in hopes that it will resolve itself. The longer you go without addressing any plumbing problems, the worse it can get. Beyond plumbing concerns and emergencies, scheduling regular maintenance of your plumbing matters as well, as a preventative measure.

At Arch Plumbing, our licensed and bonded plumbers are experts who deal with at home and commercial plumbing systems day in and day out, making us experts in plumbing jobs both big and small. From installation to repair and replacement, as a family-owned and operated business, we treat every job as if it were one of our own. If you’re facing plumbing issues, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (415) 375-0302 today to schedule an inspection.