12 Things Your Plumber Wishes You Knew
It seems like emergencies only happen late at night, on weekends, and very early in the morning. These are moments when you are uncomfortable calling a plumber, and their fees will be higher as well. Chances are, your plumber would prefer not to make a house call at such times, and the following tips may help you not to make that call.
Don’t drain grease down the sink.
Prepare to call a Mandurah plumber if you dump frying oil, bacon grease, and other fats into the kitchen sink. Fats thicken as they cool and form huge masses that eventually clog up your drainage system. Instead of hurriedly pouring the oils down the drain, let them cool, scrape them off and place them in a non-recyclable tin and throw them in the garbage.
Keep off Caustic Detergents
Though it is most likely the first remedy you get when your water starts draining slowly, the chemicals in the caustic have an oxidizing agent which corrodes old pipes. Eventually, they start leaking. Next time as Same Day Trades suggest, look for a natural cleaner and unclogs through enzymes. It may not work as fast but is gentler on the old pipes.
Let faucets drip during winter.
If your pipes have frozen in the past, there are high chances for it to happen again. Apart from not having water, you are at risk of having your pipes burst. To avoid such scenarios, open your faucet slightly, only allowing a constant drip on freezing nights.
Leave the area under the sink without clatter.
The curved drain pipes under the sink ensure wastewater to pass while keeping off sewer gases. When you store several items, you accidentally bump them as you pick and return; with time, the pipes loosen and cause leakage. Let that area under the sink remain uncluttered as per Same Day Trades guidelines.
Your sink’s garbage disposal is not a bin.
Though the name garbage disposal suggests a place you can dispose of waste, it shouldn’t be used as a trash can. Large volumes of food waste such as potato and carrots, peels, cereals quickly cause a blockage. Ensure any food scraps are in your compost can and ensure to rinse the disposal with lots of water to clear off any food residuals after clean up.
Know when to leave it to professionals
As much as you are good at changing bulbs and fixing door handles, know when it’s time to call a plumber. You might DIY and end up paying more because of the damage you have caused.
Shut down the main valve if going on vacation
It’s pretty exhausting coming from a well-deserved break and finding your house flooded. Same Day Trades advise you to switch off your main water pipe before leaving. To avoid the buildup of pressure from the leftover water in the pipes, open several faucets. Though it may seem tedious to switch off then on, it will save you a lot of cleaning up and expenses in case of a leak.
Avoid pouring grease down the sink, leave faucets to drip constantly during cold nights, sink’s garbage disposal is not a bin, never use caustic on old pipes and shut the main valve if going on a vacation. Follow these guidelines and you may never need a plumber during odd hours.
