7 Common Plumbing Mistakes Homeowners Make

If there's something wrong with the plumbing, it's important to fix whatever is causing it. Otherwise, water damage could become a big problem. To stop your plumbing from becoming an issue, we've put together a few tips. Here are the most common mistakes made by homeowners while repairing plumbing.

1. Pouring Grease Down the Drain

One of the easiest ways to damage the sink is by dumping too much grease down the drain. When you've never put any down it, the trap at the bottom doesn't clog as much. So, you'll have fewer clogs, leading to less damage. 

Simply toss the grease into the garbage after it has cooled down to a reasonable temperature. That way, it won't melt a hole through the container after dumping it in.

2. Dumping Litter Into the Toilet

Has your cat been using the litter box as it should? If they have, you may have felt tempted to toss the used litter in the toilet as an easy disposal method. But, putting litter down there could make everything back up, overflowing the bathroom.

Instead of tossing it down the toilet, make sure it's been put in the trash. Then, take it out to the curb along with everything you've tossed away. It should flush well as long as the toilet hasn't been a kitty litter dumping ground. So, there's less chance of it overflowing, even if it's being used a ton.

3. Trying to Tackle Projects by Yourself

Suppose there's a leak dribbling from under the bathroom sink. You saw it after getting home from work and thought it looked like an easy fix. After doing a little research online, your confidence has built up enough to attempt it on your own.

Only after causing a huge leak do you realize it wasn't worth it. Since there was a massive leak already, you'll be paying to repair some damage. Instead of damaging the house by doing it all on your own, hire someone else. They'll make sure the plumbing has been fixed, and they're less likely to cause any damage.

4. Using Too Much Drain Cleaner

If the drain is clogging all the time, it's probably something further down the drain. Even if the drain cleaner gets the water moving, it may not be a long-term fix.

So, you should see if a plumber can find what's causing the sink to clog so often. Since they've seen many of them, it shouldn't take long to discover the culprit. Then, they can repair it and make sure the sink works as it should.

5. Not Using High-Quality Material

Using ht800 silicone to seal your gaskets is a great idea. Since it doesn't break down easily, it'll last a long time after being installed. So, you can see why it's been such a popular material to repair plumbing.

Instead of buying something less durable, try this stuff out for a while. Once you've seen how long it lasts, nothing else will stack up to it well. That's because it has an amazing price to value ratio, driving up demand like crazy.

6. Not Tightening the Fixtures

Loose fixtures have caused more leaks than anything else to do with your plumbing. Since it's easy to leave them untightened, check them often. If they're looser than when you installed them, tighten them up again.

7. Forgetting to Let the Water Run During Winter

Nothing is worse than forgetting to leave the tap open over winter. If you've forgotten to leave yours on, burst pipes are in your future. Once the weather starts changing, water will rush into the house. Then, you'll begin spring with a ton of water damage to repair.

You don't have to leave the taps open too wide, but you should open them a little. Running water is way less likely to freeze and burst your pipes.

How to Avoid Common Plumbing Mistakes

Plumbing isn't something you can just live without, no matter how much you'd like to. But, it's not hard to avoid damaging things as long as you're responsible. Just take care of the plumbing, and it'll last longer than expected usually.

Guest Contributor: Elizabeth Howard