Many people believe that maintaining your home’s plumbing is not such a complicated job. This could be said in some cases, but thinking this way leads to a lot of costly mistakes. As a result, your pipes may end up seriously damaged, leading to a variety of other issues down the road.
Therefore, in this article, we are going to discuss the Seven biggest plumbing mistakes that people tend to make, and you can actually easily avoid if you listen to the advice of plumbing professionals.
Turning the heater off during wintertime
When you decide to go somewhere fun during your winter vacation, don’t let yourself be fooled by the idea that you should turn the heat off in order to save on the bills. The problems that might arise if you do so can end up costing you a lot more.
Basically, when the heating is off, the pipes are bound to freeze and eventually burst. So, what should you do? Turn the heat down to a reasonable number while you’re vacationing.
Leaving the water on
In case the pipes burst and leak, the first thing that you must do is turn the water off. The repair may seem small so you might feel like it isn’t necessary, but in reality, it is something you should always do.
If you leave the water on, you’re bound to make a mess and damage the pipes more than you should. Or, in the worst-case scenario, you’ll end up flooding the whole place.
Using too much drain cleaner
Clogs are no match to quality residue cleaners. However, the issue arises when you end up using these products way too much. You mustn’t forget that these chemicals are strong and will damage the drains if you aren’t careful.
You can opt not to use a product with such harsh properties and simply go for a DIY solution which consists of ½ a cup of vinegar along with ½ a cup of baking soda. An hour later, you need to pour boiling water down the drain. Or, if you are really unsure about what to do, look for advice from professionals, such as drain cleaning experts from Canberra.
Forgetting the outside hose when it’s cold
When winter comes, you should be careful about what you do with the garden hose. It mustn’t stay attached to a faucet because the water lines are very likely to freeze and burst. It may happen without you even noticing on time, causing a whole lot of trouble.
So, disconnect the hose before the temperatures drop low, and, if applicable, turn off the water supply that leads to the taps outside too.
Trusting a handyman
While your local handyman may be good at their job, using their services is often not advisable. The reasoning behind this is the fact that if they don’t do a proper job, you won’t be able to do anything about it.
It is necessary to have a licensed plumber do the job because that way you will make sure that the warranty doesn’t become voided and you can take action if they mess something up.
Not scheduling regular plumbing check-ups
The reality of the matter is that your plumbing is bound to have issues sooner or later. The best way to always be ahead of such problems is to schedule regular plumbing check-ups. This way, you’ll be able to know right away if you’ve got a smaller leak or another less troublesome complication in your hands so that you can react as soon as possible.
Turning a blind eye to a potential issue
The worst thing that you could possibly do is ignore plumbing issues that you think aren’t a big deal, hoping that they would eventually just go away. Newsflash – they won’t.
If there is a strange sound that you keep hearing, your faucet is leaking, or the toilet keeps running, you’ll only end up with bigger problems as time goes by. It could be a hefty bill or a much bigger plumbing issue that will cost you a fortune.
Final words
In the end, remember that there are certain issues that you can DIY, while there are others that need a professional to take a look. Don’t take on plumbing problems that you aren’t sure that you can take care of yourself.
It may be tempting to save money by doing everything yourself, but some things are better left to the experts.
Author bio:
Ayla Anderson is an avid reader and an enthusiastic blogger who writes articles on home improvement, business, Family, and beauty. She is also an MBA student who spends much of her time giving advice to new small businesses on how to grow their businesses. You can follow me here on Twitter.
