The Top 5 Things That Damage Your Plumbing

Home plumbing systems are often robust, but they’re also prone to damage from many sources. From commonly used objects being flushed down toilets to damage from external sources, there’s often much that homeowners can do to mitigate damage and to reduce the need for potentially costly repairs.

Here are the top five things that damage your plumbing:

• Rubbish

It’s incredible what plumbers find blocking plumbing systems. Paper, glass, metal, and plastic products have no place in your plumbing system and will most certainly cause damage either due to creating blockages or to the subsequent damage caused by grey water backing up into the house.

Feminine hygiene products and large chunks of toilet paper are also common causes for blockages in toilets. Avoid flushing feminine hygiene products and opt for small, manageable toilet paper to be flushed. Just because toilets can handle human waste doesn’t mean they’ll just as easily tolerate rubbish, so save it for a bin.

• Hair

Commonly found in shower drains, hair can be difficult to manage since it tends to be fine and can pass through plumbing systems easily. Hair becomes a danger when it’s combined with grease or other non-organic materials that found their way into your plumbing. By getting caught up and accumulating around these objects, or by forming greasy, disgusting clumps of hair, plumbing problems are likely due to result.

Manage hair by using fine shower drains and frequently removing hair around the drain after showering.

• Chemical Drain Cleaning Products

Many commercially-available drain cleaning products use powerful chemical compounds to eat away at plumbing blockages and to allow your plumbing system to flow once again. The problem with these products is that they’re often so powerful that they can cause damage themselves. Since they’re entering the municipal water stream, they can be harmful to the environment and can affect wildlife as well.

Furthermore, drain cleaning products may be able to dissolve blockages of hair and grease quite well, but they don’t tend to completely clean the pipe’s interior as manufacturers advertise. This leaves a residual buildup that can lead to blockages later on. The best way to deal with foreign objects in your plumbing is to have them removed manually by a professional plumber.

• Grease

Frying bacon for breakfast sure tastes wonderful, but all too often the pan’s grease is simply washed into the sink without a second thought. This is not recommended. Grease can cause damage to your plumbing and to septic systems alike and belongs in the trash, not down your sink.

Grease disposal doesn’t need to be complicated. Allow the grease to cool and solidify, then simply scrape it off into the rubbish.

• Tree Roots

Trees need to dig big, healthy roots to thrive. Unfortunately, trees planted too close to your home’s foundation or plumbing can put them at serious risk of damage. Tree roots are very strong and over time will only grow and push their way into foundations and pipes. To avoid this, plant trees far enough away from the home to ensure that roots won’t pose a significant danger.

Contact Murphys Plumbing Today

Whether your plumbing system’s been damaged or you’d like to have it thoroughly inspected for signs of damage, Murphys Plumbing have the friendly customer service and industry expertise to take care of your plumbing and to ensure that it’s running as it should be. Contact us today to enquire about our services.