6 Common Plumbing Mistakes that Homeowners Make and How to Avoid Them

Plumbing issues are nothing new. A drip drop here and a leak there, are common issues every homeowner has to face. However, letting that problem sit will snowball into something major, which won’t be a pleasant experience for you. As your house ages, there will be multiple times when you will require the assistance of a plumber San in Clemente.

There are many recurring plumbing issues, which sometimes a homeowner can fix on their own, but in doing so, they make some common mistakes that can worsen the problem even more. If you’re someone who loves to try and fix everything on your own, this article is for you! We have listed the most common plumbing mistakes many homeowners make and our tips to avoid them.

Not turning the water off

Now, this may sound like a silly mistake but you’d be surprised to know just how many people commit this mistake regularly so we had to mention it, before working on the plumbing never forget to turn off the water supply valve to avoid flood and significant damage to your pipes.

Imagine you go down the basement just to fix a simple leak and end up flooding the entire basement, the absolute mess it will create is beyond imagination. Therefore, it is a smart option always to locate the main supply valve first and turn it off before even touching the pipes.

Using a chemical drain cleaner

Clogged drains are amongst the most commonly occurring plumbing problems in a house. And unless the congestion has grown out of hand, homeowners can identify the problem in deal with it on their own. However, most homeowners resort to quick fixes and use inexpensive and readily available chemical drain cleaners to unclog the drains.

They don’t realize just how much harm they are inflicting on their pipes by draining them with complex chemicals. If you cannot find the reason behind your slow drains, it’s best to leave that work to a professional plumber. This can also elongate the life of your pipes.

Over tightening fixtures

Another common mistake that most homeowners unknowingly make is overtly tightening supply tubes, pipes, and other fittings exposing them to an even greater risk of leaks. Over-tightening can warp the rubber fittings which sit inside the pipes, decreasing their functionality of the pipes. It is only natural to want to get everything as tight as possible so they stay in their place, but this can do more harm than good to your fixture. We recommend talking to a professional plumber about this issue.

Flushing items down the toilet

We cannot stress this enough- never put items inside the toilet which do not belong there. People flush down hair, cotton balls, paper towels, tampons, and more odd things in the toilet and then later complain about clogged toilets and pipes. These items do not belong inside the toilet pipes and should be discarded in the waste bin.

Flushing these down will cause severe and often, expensive problems with your plumbing lines. Keep your pipes clog-free by avoiding flushing anything down which can get stuck in the pipes. Or you’ll be needing the help of a plumber San in Clemente.

Connecting Galvanized and Copper pipes

While repairing damaged parts of plumbing, it is crucial to make sure that the two materials do not come in contact with one another as galvanized pipes and copper pipes can cause corrosion. You have to use the special joint, the dielectric union that uses a plastic sleeve and rubber washer that prevents the copper and galvanized piping from touching each other when they are corroded.

Fixing plumbing issues without proper knowledge

Taking up a plumbing challenge without knowing the proper ins and outs of plumbing activities will make the problem even worse. You might even manage to inflict significant damage to your plumbing system only for you to regret it later. So our suggestion is to stay away from DIYing if you do not know the complexities of plumbing repair and leave it to a plumber in San Clemente.

Final Thoughts

There are many interconnected fixtures, pipes, and fittings in a plumbing system. Some of the problems are easily fixable and do not require a professional plumber unless the problem is massive and gets out of control. Regular inspections and maintenance can also help keep your plumbing system free from leaks and damages.