5 Bad Habits That Could Compromise Your Home's Plumbing

In general, plumbing problems don't happen that often. And that's a good thing since a leak or a blockage can bring a household to its knees. But to ensure your plumbing doesn't fail on you regularly, use it wisely and responsibly. Otherwise, you might create a plumbing issue that won't go away without the help of a professional plumber.



If you or someone else in your household has any of the following bad habits, a plumbing emergency might be lurking just around the corner.

1. Carrying out DIY plumbing repairs without proper training

Without proper training, you can still carry out minor repair jobs. For instance, most people can replace a worn out washer or tighten a loose tap. The internet is full of learning videos for these simple jobs. But you avoid taking on repair jobs that involve replacing pipes or reassembling plumbing components.

One misplaced pipe or part could create a serious issue that results in a burst pipe or severe blockage. Professional plumbers work to strict standards and regulations. This means they don't cut corners, and neither should you. If you don't understand a plumbing issue, call a plumber.

2. Forcing all manner of junk in your waste disposal unit

A waste disposal unit is a handy tool to have if you enjoy home-cooked meals every day. But your waste disposal unit can't shred everything. There are limits to what it can deal with. If you or someone else in your household regularly put the following items in your waste disposal, a blockage is just around the corner:

• Fibrous waste like banana skins
• Sticky waste like pasta and rice
• Hard waste like bones or fruit seeds
• Non-food waste like paper or plastic

And a blocked waste disposal unit will affect your kitchen sink's ability to drain water. If this happens, you'll have to shelve any plans you had to cook until a plumber has dealt with the issue.

3. Being overly reliant on chemical cleaners

Chemical cleaners are a handy item to have when a drain clogs without warning. But if you use them too often, especially if the pipes in your home are PVC, you will create a serious plumbing issue. Many chemical cleaners contain acids like sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid. Their caustic nature helps them to dissolve blockages. But these chemical cleaners can also damage your pipes.

Caustic chemical drain cleaners can soften PVC pipes. This could cause the pipe connections to loosen, and lead to a flood or leak. Worse, chemical cleaners can melt PVC pipes if you use them too frequently.

4. Pouring boiling hot water into PVC pipes

Another way that people attempt to clear blockages from drains is to pour boiling hot water into them. Boiling hot water is fine if your pipes are copper. PVC pipes on the other hand won't deal with the high temperature very well. In fact, boiling water could soften PVC so much that the pipe connections loosen. In time, this could become a serious plumbing issue.

5. Flushing unflushables down the loo

Most people know they shouldn't flush random objects down the toilet, but they figure that just once or twice won't do any harm. But when multiple people in a household think this way, you have a potential plumbing problem. According to Sydney Water, wet wipes cause 75% of sewer blockages!

If something doesn't dissolve like ordinary toilet paper does, then keep it out of your toilet.

Has your plumbing given up on you due to one too many doses of chemical cleaner? Then S.P.K Plumbing and Civil is the answer to your plumbing prayers. We operate 24/7, which means that no matter what time of day you need plumbing repairs, our team is ready to spring into action. Call us today with your plumbing issue and we'll send out a team to get your plumbing back up and running.