You can avoid plumbing damage when a skilled plumber checks up on your building's system and does proper maintenance through your hidden drywall access panels and other plumbing access points. The plumbing maintenance and repairs may take longer than usual because of the problem's complexity.   

Knowing the different habits that can damage your plumbing system is also ideal. Once you learn those habits, you can teach them to other people and ensure your plumbing system stays in its best condition. You'll also save money when you know what causes the plumbing damage.   

1. Excessive Use of Drain Cleaners  

If you notice that your plumbing drains aren't draining liquid right away, you should expect that there's gunk and debris stuck inside the drain pipes. Over time, tiny food particles and waste you toss into the drain pipes will solidify and cause an overflow and prevent liquid waste from entering the sewers.    

People usually fix that issue by pouring drain cleaners into the drain pipes. Drain cleaners can break down solidified debris inside the pipes because of their high acidity. Remember that they are potent chemicals that will also chew away the pipes after a while of constant use. You should find better solutions like throwing food waste in garbage cans.    

2. Leaving Hair on the Drain  

If you have specific bathrooms where people can take a quick bath, you should watch out for hair collecting on the drains. It would help if you had your building cleaners remove them immediately because they can also prevent water from flowing. You may think it's not a big issue, but the soap and shampoo will fuse with the hair, causing it to block the drain pipes quickly.   

Your cleaners may have no choice but to contact a plumber to remove the clumped hair debris inside the pipes. Don't wait for the hair to pile up; have them removed daily as much as possible.     

3. Avoid Throwing Trash in the Toilet  

You need to take care of public toilets all the time because you won't know if people throw away their sanitary products. You will have no choice but to place a warning sign on every toilet stall so that everyone will be aware. Some of the everyday sanitary products that get thrown into toilets include napkins and toilet paper. It would help if you placed a trash bin in each toilet stall so that people have somewhere to throw away their hygienic products.    

4. Ignoring Small Water Leaks  

Broken pipes will eventually leak and damage other systems within your building. Water leaks cause electrical issues at one point, leading to building fires. Once anyone starts noticing a water leak in a specific area, they should contact a plumber at once to fix the leaks. Water leaking everywhere in your building will cost you a lot of money to fix everything.   

5. Improper Use of Garbage Disposals  

You can find garbage disposals in any building because they help quickly break down solid food waste. However, you have to know that they can only dispose of small bits of food waste. Throwing the large trash in garbage disposals will damage the system, causing you to spend more on repairs. Some food waste that you should never throw in your garbage disposal includes solid items, oils, and sticky foods.  

That's why most people immediately throw leftover food in garbage bins and then use garbage disposal when washing the dishes.   

Hopefully, the five habits mentioned above will help keep your plumbing system in top condition for years to come. Your building's plumbing system should always function properly, especially when many people use the sinks, bathrooms, and toilets every minute.   

 Guest Contributor: Chris Jackson