Five Plumbing Myths That Cost You More Money

With so much do it yourself home plumbing remedies, there are bound to be a couple that are a little more myth than fact. It’s great when we can save a few dollars by tackling a project ourselves but sometimes these solutions can cause more harm than good. We spoke to the certified plumbers at Galaxy Plumbing, a plumbing company in Vancouver to clear the air once and for all on these plumbing myths.

1.    Adding lemons to your garburator.  Makes sense right?  Who wouldn’t want a nice lemon smell coming from their garbage disposal however, the rind of a citrus fruit can actually corrode the metal inside the unit, causing the performance to deteriate. Instead, a high pressure flush or using ice cubes to polish the disposal unit is a better trick.

2.    Running water while the garbage disposal is on. It’s happen to us all, grab the wooden spoon or worringly reach your hand into the garburator to remove the blockage. The best thing to do is to actually fill the sink up with water first, so the food has a chance to break down and separate before running the garbage disposal. 

3.    Rubbing soap and water on Bathroom fixtures to keep it clean. Overtime this will lead to corrosion of your fixture and cost you money to replace it. Instead, use a dry paper towel or damp cloth and wipe down the area to remove any soap and water. 

4.    El Cheap-o Plumber from Craigslist. Sure they maybe able to tackle some of the smaller projects, but not all plumbers have the training and education necessary to get the job done right, or to recognize a bigger problem may exist.  For example, a slow running drain maybe easily fixed with a drain snake, but the real water flow problem could exist further in your drainage system and may need the use of a drain camera to disover.  A basic plumber may fix the problem temporarily, but the issue will come back costing you more money. A Certified local plumber will have the advanced know how and tools available to recognize and solve a problem on the spot. 

5.    Toilet pucks and in tank toiler cleaners will reduce the need to clean the toilet.  Who doesn’t like the fresh blue water in their bowl, however these cleaners do not remove buildup, instead just bleaching it white. This can ruin your toilet overtime if the buildup is not scrubbed off. Try pouring vinegar down the overflow tube to take away build up and smell as well as using the good ole toilet brush.