There are some common myths out there we have been listening to for years. Whether it’s coming from a parent, friend or neighbor because it’s someone we trust most of us have a tendency to take it as fact. This rings especially true for plumbers. In the plumbing industry we hear dozens of stories of clients who thought they were doing the absolute best thing for their plumbing, but were sadly misinformed. Below we are going to unpack a few of those myths and see if we can’t set things straight for you. 1) Lemons or citrus are good for cleaning and disinfecting your garbage disposal. This is an especially common myth on the residential side of the plumbing industry. Homeowner believe that dumping lemon, lime, and orange rinds down the garbage disposal is going to clean and disinfect the disposal therefore prolonging it’s life. The only thing that citrus rinds accomplish is to make the disposal smell better if it has developed some kind of odor. To actually clean your garbage disposal you will need to first disconnect it from the power source so there is no chance of it turning on and clean all pieces with soap water and a soft brush. 2) The water must be on at all times while running the garbage disposal. While on the subject of garbage disposals it seems like an appropriate time to explore another myth most homeowners believe. Running water does not increase the effectiveness of your garbage disposal. While it is important to rinse everything out after you are done using the disposal you should never use running water as a way to force non-disposable foods down the drain, such as fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, and cooking fats. 3) As long as liquid is still being sucked down the drain it isn’t clogged. Clogs are a big headache for you as the homeowner to deal with but it’s also a headache for your plumber. Clogs are difficult to track down and break up if they are allowed to become big enough to stop up the whole plumbing system. Learn to recognize the early warning signs like debris that remain in the sink and are not flushed away, or that the sink is filling up with water and then draining very slowly. The same rules apply for shower drains, so if you catch these clogs in the early stages professional intervention may not even be necessary. 4) Plumbing does not require regular maintenance. This may be the most misleading myth homeowners believe about their home plumbing system. In your home water is consumed every single day to fuel our lives and activities. Without water and plumbing to supply that water, our daily lives would become far less comfortable. While plumbing systems are built to withstand years of use, they still require regular inspections and maintenance to perform at peak efficiency. The biggest thing for you as a homeowner to unders
and is that there are warning signs that could hint at an issue before it becomes a big problem. If you are unsure about something plumbing related or simply want to be educated our friendly team is a phone call away!