We have put together some of the top plumbing myths of all time that burn a hole in your pocket for no reason. Take a look below at the plumbing myths that you should keep in mind to save yourself money, and have an overall better experience with plumbing repairs.
1. Tablets containing bleach are flushable
This is a firm no. Using bleach in the toilet you have to make sure you clean it up within 10 minutes. If left, the bleach will eventually degrade the working parts of the toilet. The damage can go as far as corroding your entire toilet. To save money, be extra careful when dealing with bleach, you don’t want to end up having to buy a whole new entire toilet system.
2. Flushing disposable wipes down the toilet
Many wipes are not biodegradable the same way toilet paper is, even if they do ‘look’ flushable, or advertised as ‘flushable’. Especially baby wipes, are the largest cause of drain blockages in many countries. Other products like feminie hygiene products and paper towels – all deserve a place in the bin and not the toilet.
3. Putting a brick in the toilet tank saves water
There is no proof to back this ridiculous myth, but there are many, many ways to save water in toilets. Using water-saver flushes and faucets, fixing leaky flushes and faucets, and many other ways. Using a brick could cause the water flow to get interrupted and lead to a worse-off flush than before, or it may not be strong enough and could break apart and damage internal parts of the flush.
4. Anything can go down the drain
A lot of people get this wrong, as there is a long list of items that don’t belong down the drain. For example, egg shells, grease, pasta, rice and carcasses. Throw what shouldn’t be in the sink in the bin to save having to call out your friendly plumbing professional.
5. Using a plunger to unclog anything
This has to be a big myth. Most of us have used a plunger to unclog a small clogging issue, however if this isn’t dealt with properly, it could get worse and cause an overflow.
6. I shouldn’t worry about a leaky faucet
A small leak can cost you big money and is also bad for the environment. We had a very dry summer in 2018, with water shortages becoming a big problem in certain parts of the world, it’s a good idea to have a faucet leak fixed as soon as possible.
7. In the Southern hemisphere water flushes in the opposite direction
You may of heard about the Corolis Effect, but the toilets do not flush in the other direction in the Southern hemisphere. The Corolis Effect is responsible for cyclones that rotate in opposite directions in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, such as hurricanes. There is simply not enough water in the toilet for the effect to happen.
8. Mixing boiling water with grease to help it go down the sink
This is very untrue. Drinking hot water doesn’t unclog our arteries and remove excess fat, and this is the same for the sink and piping system. You should never allow grease to go down the drain. It will always cause problems, and may even lead to a complete breakdown of the drainage system.
