3 Bad Habits that Hurt Your Plumbing

It’s easy to forget that there’s a whole infrastructure within the walls of your home that keeps it running. A large part of this is your plumbing system, and everyday habits you don’t think twice about could put it at risk. Here are some of the worst offenders and what you can do to put an end to them.

1. Letting hair go down the shower drain

This one might never occur to you - after all, that’s what the drain is there for, right? And it’s not like you’re losing handfuls of hair each shower. 

Not quite.

The hair itself isn’t as big of a problem as the combination of the hair and soap residue. Soap naturally clings to the inside of the pipes and, when hair rinses down the drain and joins the soap, becomes gummy clogs that can cause slow or nonexistent draining and even damage the pipes over time.

It’s easy to prevent or minimize this, though. There are tons of drain filters on the market that do a great job at collecting hair before it can get to your pipes and are simple to clean. 

2. Treating your garbage disposal like a trash can

We’ve talked about this in more detail before, but there’s never a bad time for a reminder. Your garbage disposal is not a magic portal where any and everything you throw at it goes to disappear. It’s just a motor and a few blades and is prone to clogging or even breaking.

Take care of your disposal by keeping damaging foods away from it. That means anything gummy (peanut butter, cooking grease), anything hard (chicken or other bones), and anything fibrous (potato and other peels, vegetables). If you’re unsure, just default to putting food in the trash.

3. Overusing drain cleaners

Despite their marketing, drain cleaners really aren’t that safe for your pipes, and they certainly aren’t good for them. The aggressive chemicals used to remove a clog can also eat away at your pipes if used consistently. This puts the pipes at risk for cracks and leaks.

What can you do if you have a clog? First, try manual methods like a plunger or a snake. If you don’t have any luck there, try something natural, like a baking soda/vinegar/hot water treatment. It may take a few rounds and more time than the harsh chemical removers, but your pipes - and your wallet - will thank you in the long run.

If you think your bad habits might already be affecting your plumbing, there’s an easy solution - call us to schedule a free inspection and we’ll get you back on track.