Plumbing Myths Busted
Don’t believe everything you hear or read is true, but you can believe us! We have many years of experience and are experts in the field of plumbing and heating. There are many myths or misconceptions around plumbing including best practices that people take as fact. We are here to bust these common myths so you know what to do and what not to do.
A dripping tap isn’t a big issue
You may think that a slow dripping tap isn’t that much of a concern after all its only a little drip, surely that can’t hurt. Wrong! A tap that drips every second can waste over 3,000 gallons of water a year, which is enough for nearly 200 showers. This can significantly inflate your water bill and waste a lot of water.
Flushable wipes
Just because they say flushable doesn’t mean they won’t cause problems with your plumbing. Most flushable wipes are not actually flushable as they are not water-soluble, the majority won’t break down properly and can clog up your pipes and drains, leading to further issues. Save yourself from having to call out a plumber, don’t flush wipes down the toilet.
Brick in a toilet
A common trick to reduce water consumption is to place a brick inside your toilet cistern. While this can reduce the amount of water used it will make a toilet less effective as flushes will be weaker which will require multiple flushes. Furthermore, most modern toilets are low flush so they save water anyway. Also over time the brick will break up and make a mess inside the cistern.
Using a plunger to unblock a sink
This may seem like the right thing to do but this can be dangerous in some cases. If you have poured chemical cleaners down the sink and are using a plunger this could pull the chemicals back up out of the sink and spray them around which can damage your skin.
Hot water melts grease and stops blockages
Hot boiling water can melt grease down a sink? – In principle, it sounds right, boiling water can soften up that grease down the sink. It is a common misconception. Although this will melt the grease and wash it down the drain when it reaches your pipes it will cool and solidify. Unfortunately, this grease acts as a magnet collecting food, hair and lint leading to clogged pipes. These blockages will often lie far from the sink so you won’t be able to sort it yourself.
A rumbling water heater is about to explode
Don’t panic! It’s very unlikely that your water heater is about to explode if you hear it rumbling or making gurgling noises. These strange sounds are usually caused by air popping due to a build-up of sediment in the tank which can block the burner. If ignored this could cause serious damage and the tank could stop working. Instead of running for cover, we recommend calling a plumber to take a look at it and get it fixed.
When it comes to plumbing and heating don’t rely on myths. You can trust Solitaire to separate fact from fiction, we have plenty of experienced and skilled engineers. If you have a heating query don’t hesitate to contact our helpful team at 01621 840471 or info@solitairegrp.com.
