Popular Plumbing Myths Debunked

You have heard that it is important to maintain your home’s plumbing systems. Unfortunately, you have heard a lot of conflicting information as to the best way to maintain pipes, fixtures, and other components in your home.

Due to all this conflicting information, it is generally best to call a plumber any time a major plumbing problem arises.

Doing the wrong thing will inevitably make your plumbing problems worse and even more costly to fix. The following are a few common plumbing myths that have been debunked over the years.

Myth 1 – Flushable Wipes Will Not Cause a Problem With Your Plumbing

You have probably purchased wipes from the store that claim to be flushable. You may have even flushed them down your toilet. The problem is that flushable wipes tend to not break down as easily as toilet paper.

For this reason, flushable wipes are not as safe to flush as label claims on product packages would have you believe; therefore, it is best to avoid flushing these wipes and saving yourself from a plumbing nightmare.

It is best not to flush anything down your toilet that does not easily break down, cause a clog or that might damage your pipes. This includes, but is not limited to, cotton balls, food, tampons, grease and many other items you would be better off to toss in the trash.

Myth 2 – You Can Use Any Cleaner on My Plumbing Fixtures

People imagine that any type of soap or chemical cleaner is safe to use on their toilet bowl or other plumbing fixtures. Initially, it seems natural that the same soap you use to clean your hands should be mild enough to use on the plumbing fixtures in your home; however, cleaning plumbing fixtures with the wrong type of cleaning solution or chemicals will inevitably cause damage to these delicate components.

This is especially true in the case of using the wrong cleaning agents to clean brass fixtures. Harsh chemicals and cleaning agents will compromise the finish on your home’s brass plumbing fixtures. It is best to use the proper type of cleaner to avoid doing unnecessary and costly damage to these plumbing components.

Myth 3 – You Can Put Any Food Item Through Your Garbage Disposal

Perhaps one of the most enduring myths about plumbing is the idea that you can put any food item through your garbage disposal.

Your garbage disposal was really not designed to handle many of the food items you put through it. From spaghetti to chicken bones, it would be better to simply throw such food items in the trash.

Your garbage disposal was actually designed to handle small bits of food that gets stuck on plates, not massive, thick amounts of uneaten food left over after every meal.

By throwing these food items away, you will not only save the blades of your garbage disposal, but you will also prevent a major gum-up from occurring as well.

Don’t let the myths get to you in your Naperville home. Call Jim Wagner Plumbing, Inc. at (630) 577-9241 today, and overcome these plumbing myths!