6 Mistakes That Will Have Your Plumber on Speed Dial

While it is definitely wise to have a plumber you know and trust on call for emergencies, you probably don’t want to see your plumber too often as this may indicate you are spending a lot of money on plumbing repairs. By avoiding these X common mistakes, you can reduce the need for frequent calls to the plumber.

• Abusing the Garbage Disposal: Don’t let the name fool you. You can’t really put all your garbage down your disposal. Instead, use this appliance sparingly and sensibly to avoid clogging your kitchen sink, ruining the disposal blades, or burning out the disposal motor.
• Overloading Shower Caddies: If your shower lacks storage space, you might have gotten one of those handy shower caddies to hang from your showerhead and give you a place to put your soap and shampoo. Beware of putting too many products in here though, as showerheads are not designed to be load-bearing, and too much weight can break your showerhead right off.
• Using the Wrong Pipe Connectors: One common mistake made by amateur plumbers is joining pipes of different metals without using a special connector. For example, if a copper pipe is joined directly to a steel one, the contact between the two metals will cause dielectric corrosion which can eventually close up the pipe. To prevent this, a special dielectric connector must be used, which will separate the metals with a rubber washer and a plastic sleeve.
• Turning on a New Water Heater Too Soon: Getting a brand new water heater is definitely exciting. Sometimes, property owners get impatient and turn the unit on before it is completely full of water. This is a terrible mistake that can actually ruin the unit. Before switching on a new water heater, allow it to fill completely and then run some water out of the pipes to make sure all the air bubbles are gone.
• Flushing the Unflushable: Only toilet paper and waste belong in the toilet. Flushing other items, from paper towels to diapers to toys or trash, can cause clogs. You may not be able to remove the clog on your own with a plunger in which case you will have to call the plumber.
• Forgetting How Faucets Go Back Together: This is a common problem among the DIY set. It may seem like a simple matter to replace a washer in a faucet to correct a leak or drip, but if you’re not careful it is easy to forget exactly how the assembly should go back together. You would be better off calling a professional plumber from the beginning to avoid the risk of reassembling your faucets incorrectly on your own.