Myths can be fun, but never when they cost you money. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions floating around about home plumbing and most of them tend not to fall into that fun category. The Hamilton plumbers at Archie Horn & Son want to help you drown out the myths that could be damaging your home’s plumbing system and costing you money!
Leaky Faucets Are Not A Big Deal?
Leaky faucets may not seem like *that* big a deal, right? Well…you’re kind of right. No, the leaky faucet won’t flood your home, but it will drain your wallet. Ignoring your leaky faucets comes down to just being wasteful. The average leak will waste over 10,000 gallons in a year, that’s equal to 270 loads of laundry. Fixing that leak could save you nearly 10 percent on your water bill!
You Can Use Ice Cubes To Sharpen Garbage Disposal Blades?
That’s a hard no. First things first, garbage disposals don’t have blades, they have teeth-like features called impellers used to grind solids into liquids as it spins. Not sure where the idea came around that ice could sharpen the blades of a garbage disposal, but if you want your garbage disposal to continue to run, leave the ice cubes in the freezer or a drink where they belong!
Hot Water Gets Rid Of Grease?
Many customers plumbers visit have the common misconception of running hot water down the drain after grease to prevent clogging. However, that isn’t quite the case at all. In fact, hot water doesn’t do anything to break down the fat, meaning it will still clog your drain. Even with a garbage disposal, you should always avoid dumping grease down your drains. Some homeowners have said they flush their grease to avoid clogging their sink, but all that will get you is a plugged drain in your toilet. You should dispose of cooking fat in the trash where it won’t damage your home.
You Can’t Always Believe The ‘F’ Word!
Keeping things that don’t belong in the toilet, out of the toilet, may seem like common sense but there are many things you may think are safe, that aren’t. Today, many household items that are labeled ‘flushable,’ really aren’t! For example, flushable wipes are one of the most common things licensed plumbers see clogging toilets. Although they do in fact flush, they don’t degrade like toilet paper and can lead to quite the drain issue. Other ‘f’ word culprits are paper towels and make-up wipes. Making sure things that find a home in the bathroom that are clearly labeled “do not flush,” are disposed of properly can also save you a lot of headaches – and money.
In-Tank Cleaners Aren’t Dangerous?
Sometimes even things that do belong in the toilet, aren’t as great for it as you might think. Bleach is the most used cleaning spray in Canada for household messes, but too much is never a good thing. A quick soak before scrubbing won’t ruin your bowl or drain, but you should try and avoid long-lasting bleach cleaner toilet snap-ons or tank tabs. Prolonged exposure to bleach can degrade the working parts of your toilet that will need a visit from a Hamilton plumber to fix.
I Can Just Do It Myself!
A long time, and very incorrect, myth is that it can be hard to find a local residential or commercial plumber and that you can do-it-yourself (DIY) to save money, but that isn’t the case. Going the DIY route can make the plumbing issue much larger than it ever needed to be. Sometimes what you think is just a little leak or a simple clog is leading to a larger, underlying issue that a local Hamilton plumber will need to properly diagnose. Plumbing services are much more common and readily available than you may know.
Archie Horn & Son is proud to be a local plumber that offers emergency plumbing service in Hamilton, Ontario. Sometimes you just can’t wait for a problem to be solved, and you shouldn’t have to. From the toilet bowl to your sewer systems, local plumbing experts are great assets in assisting you with all of your home plumbing issues. Utilize them!
