Drain cleaning is one of the most important and complicated parts of a home’s infrastructure. The extensive, Byzantine piping systems involve dozens of moving parts as they bring fresh water to the home while removing dirty water.
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Make sure to avoid these things that could cause your drain and pipe system to break down:
- Ignoring leaks – A leaky faucet might be easy to ignore, but it could be a sign of bigger problems. Besides that, it could cost you gallons of precious water.
- Tossing leftovers down the drain – The drainpipes in your kitchen sink send water down the sewer system, but they are not designed to be a garbage disposal. Scraping your leftover food off your plate into the drain is particularly hard on your drainage system.
- Using heavy chemicals – Using chemical cleaners to unclog your drain might work the first time, but continuous use will ultimately damage your drain and pipe system. The chemicals will corrode the pipes, which you will need to replace later. Rather than relying on chemical solutions, call a professional drain cleaning and rootering company to unclog your pipes.
- Repairs gone wrong – Fixing things around the house is a great way to save money, but repairing your drain and pipe system when you do not have enough experience might worsen the problem instead of solving it. Call in professional drain cleaning repair companies if you do not have expertise in this area.
- Flushing trash down the toilet – This is similar to sending leftovers down the drain. Toilets are for human waste and toilet paper—nothing more. The rest should go into the trash.
- Exposing pipes to the cold – Insulating your water pipes is your best safeguard against freezing and bursting pipes during winter. This is particularly true in regions where the weather is harsh.
- Leaving hoses connected – Leaving your water hoses connected to the faucets during winter is a bad idea. The water in the hoses will freeze and add pressure to the pipes, causing them to burst.
- Skimping – Using the cheapest options for your drain and pipe system could result in failure. Buying low-quality parts and opting for slapdash fixes will result in disaster.
- Not knowing where to find the shutoff valve – Many homeowners are clueless as to the location of the water shutoff valve, but a drain cleaning emergency will require you to activate it quickly. Not knowing the location of the valve is a recipe for disaster.
Avoiding common mistakes will help you avert drain cleaning disasters. If you are not sure of how to handle a drain cleaning and rootering problem, leave it to a trained professional.