Many plumbing hacks circulate the DIY communities on the Central Coast in an effort to help people be proactive in their home maintenance and upkeep of their water supply to avoid costly calls to professional tradespeople unless it’s a necessity.
The tips and tricks are meant to keep pipes in optimum condition, and each system functions conservatively and efficiently like the rubbish disposal, washing machine, drains, toilets, etc. The techniques are relatively straightforward intended for a layperson skill level due to the restrictions on homeowner intervention.
Australian law dictates all plumbing repairs of any significance need completed by a licensed tradie like you’ll find at H2Coast Plumbing so that you have the assurance that the work is correct. The regulations intend to keep homeowners safe as well as those living a close distance.
Still, homeowners have tried-and-true hacks they believe in some way benefit the plumbing system and save costs in the long run while improving the system. Sadly, according to the experts, many of these prove to be a farce. Let’s check out some of them.
DIY Plumbing Myths Debunked
As a rule, tradespeople have to perform significant plumbing repairs on the central coast and throughout Australia, for that matter.
Over time, DIY enthusiasts come up with tricks or hacks they believe in preserving the system and staving off the need for costly repairs.
Unfortunately, much of the information passed from person to person loses something in the translation, and ultimately facts become fiction.
That’s how we develop myths. Hopefully, some of the information provided here will debunk tips you might be incorporating that genuinely aren’t doing what you might believe them to be.
Sydney Chick has fun DIY you can trust. Check out these myths.
** Rubbish Disposal Maintenance With Ice Cubes For Sharpening
Tradespeople find it perplexing that ice cubes would have a sharpening capacity for metal blades.
Advice circles in the DIY community extensively recommend these typically combined with a lemon peel to clean the disposal.
In reality, the blades are, in fact, “impellers,” resembling teeth meant to liquefy remnants while the unit spins.
Ice wouldn’t stand a chance against these, let alone serve as sharpening tools.
** Save Money By Placing A Brick In The Tank
A widespread hack involves placing a brick in the toilet tank, intending to save water.
That is a “tale” that goes back years to grandmothers who would do this.
Maybe back in the day, with the plumbing and toilets of that time, it worked somehow for them.
But employing this technique in modern toilets can prevent the unit from flushing adequately.
If your toilet is poorly performing, wasting a lot of water, save the brick and invest in a more efficient model.
** Boil Water To Melt The Grease
Boiling water will most certainly melt grease and force it down a drain.
The problem with this scenario is when the grease finds its way to the pipes.
The substance will ultimately cool and turn solid.
The more you do this, the greater the accumulation.
Additionally, other particles will attract, including lint, hair, food particles creating a massive clog somewhere that a snake can’t possibly reach.
Taking part in this particular myth will lead to a call to the professional plumber and extensive costs to remove the clog.
** Wipes Should Not Go In The Toilet
While there are wipes on the market that claim to be flushable, you should not put wipes of any kind in the toilet.
These are not comparable to toilet paper and don’t break down in the same way.
Because of this, plumbers need to deal with massively clogged pipes.
Whether you use these for your baby or if you’re a caregiver for a senior or you prefer these over toilet paper, the wipes should be tossed into disposable bags and thrown in the bin, never flushed.
** Chemically-Laden Commercial Drain Cleaners Are Not Safe
You might be onto something with DIY techniques in this category because DIY enthusiasts often have homemade remedies for all-natural and safe drain cleaning compared to the chemically-laden commercial cleaners that are harmful to people and pets plus destructive to pipes.
Over time, these are responsible for corroding pipes.
One of the best solutions is to use a plunger or even an auger if you experience a clog and then try your homemade, all-natural remedy before getting the professional involved.
Final Thought
Australia’s laws dictate that professional tradespeople take care of any plumbing problems of any significance. Other than that, people employ DIY remedies as allowed under the guidelines. The general idea with DIY is for homeowners to be proactive in their maintenance and upkeep of their home systems to the point of saving time, money, and effort for tradespeople in every medium but especially for those in the plumbing and electricity fields.
By taking the time to care for the water supply in an optimum way, like with the various systems including the rubbish disposal, washing machine, dishwasher, basins, taps, pipes, and so much more, there will be minimal need to call a plumber for repairs, mainly if you follow the proper guidelines with each.
Unfortunately, many myths passed on from generation to generation aren’t quite adequate to the way things are today. Some of these might work for how it was in the past. Still, today these present as old-fashioned, not cost-effective, or functional in a modern take. Learn if you’re taking risks with your home maintenance at budgetdirect.com.
In saying that, it’s wise to pay attention to where you’re getting your information when you research potential DIY methodology and even check with a professional plumber to see if a technique is legitimate. Most tradespeople are there to help and advise if a particular method is outdated or ineffective.
While you want to save time and money, it’s essential to ensure that you don’t create a bigger problem for yourself, ultimately leading to a more significant expense. Make sure the DIY hack is, in fact, an ideal remedy for your specific issue.