You already know you shouldn’t wash hair, oil, and garbage down your drains and into your plumbing pipes, but other things can cause serious damage, too. In fact, you might end up with broken pipes as a result of the three things Five Star Plumbing lists below. To avoid a plumbing disaster, keep the following in mind regarding your household plumbing system and its piping.
Chemicals
You have a clogged bathtub drain. You hop in your car and head to the store to buy a drain cleaner. You come back and pour the harsh chemicals down the drain. You do a happy dance once the drain releases and the water flows out of the bathtub as it should. You add drain cleaner to your shopping list so you can stock up on it for future clogs. You might not realize it, but you’ve just damaged your pipes. If you read the drain cleaner label, you’ll see that it’s hazardous. The chemicals that eat through the source of your clogged drain can also eat through your pipes. Chemicals can damage plumbing pipes.
Roots
Few things are better than a lush garden, and you planned your landscaping down to the smallest plant. Did you take into account your underground plumbing system, however? If you didn’t, you might face broken plumbing pipes down the line. Trees and large bushes and shrubs have root systems that go deep into the ground. These roots do not stop for anything, including your plumbing pipes. Eventually, the roots will encroach upon the pipes and break them. The roots are looking for water sources, and broken pipes provide the perfect refreshment. It’s best to design landscaping around the plumbing.
DIY Fixes
We don’t mean to suggest that you can’t handle your own plumbing problems, but some DIY fixes can actually do more harm than good. The discussion about drain cleaner above is one example of this. Another example of a DIY-fix going bad is misusing a pipe snake. If you do not know how to use the snake or force it down the pipe, you run the risk of breaking the pipe or even your plumbing main, leading to your municipal sewage source or septic system. If in doubt, don’t. Rather, call a plumbing professional to address your plumbing concern, so you don’t cause further damage.
Five Star Plumbing helps San Antonio, TX residents. Contact us for all your plumbing needs.
