Having a plumbing system — whether it’s in your home or at your commercial business space — can be hard what with all the upkeep involved. Depending on how many people live in your house and how much water is used, professionals need to pump septic tanks once every five to seven years, and if the whole thing is over 40 years, it may just need replacing entirely. That’s why it’s best to work on the preventative stuff — sewer inspections, plumbing services, and what not to do. Here are some brief ways you can avoid plumbing repair and emergencies.
1. Don’t Pour Grease in the Sink!
Kitchen sinks tend to get clogged easily, and it’s no wonder, considering all the leftover food and other detritus we let go down the drain. One of the golden rules of having a kitchen sink is quite important, though — no grease or lard down the drain! Fat and oil buildups cause about 47% of the up to 36,000 residential and commercial sewer overflows that happen annually in the U.S. The stuff acts a lot like cholesterol in an artery, and you don’t want your plumbing system having anything close to a heart attack. Throw the grease away in the garbage, please.
2. Don’t Hang Things From Pipes
We know that the exposed pipes give your home a rustic chic and just beg for some hanging DIY projects. At the very least, it can be tempting to hang things from the pipes in the basement when doing laundry. Word of advice: don’t. Those pipes are not meant to hold weight, and you’d be quite surprised to find out just how heavy some of those pieces are. The strain could cause those pipes to burst.
3. Skip the Drop-In Bowl Cleaner
It can be quite tempting to use a drop in bowl cleaner for your toilet, especially for those pressed for time, or who, let’s be honest, hate to clean. But in the long run, the stuff isn’t really going to save you anything, because those chemicals are extremely corrosive and are bad for the water. Plus, they can seriously damage the pipes.
Overall, the best piece of plumbing advice you can probably get is to keep the plumbing services number on speed dial, get sewer line inspections, and commission sewer repair when necessary.
