Don’t Make these Common Pluming Mistakes

When faced with a gurgling toilet or slow draining sink, it’s easy to try and attempt to fix it yourself. It’s often believed that do it yourself, or DIY, fixes can save money and time; but in reality, they often lead to a headache, lost money, and extensive repairs. Your plumbing system is a complex maze of pipes that is best left to the experts. Just like every homeowner, you want to take the best care of your home and potentially see a return on your investment. This is why we’re warning you to not make these common plumbing mistakes.

Liquid Drain Cleaners

Though it seems so easy to go to the store, buy a container of Drano, or any other chemical drain cleaner, and dump it down your drain; we are begging you to not do this. The use of liquid drain cleaners is on the most common plumbing mistakes homeowners often make. Though marketing magic says chemical drain cleaners are a good solution, they’re not. In fact, they can have long last negative effects on your home’s plumbing system. These chemical solutions emit harmful fumes, can cause chemical burns on your skin, and potentially corrode your pipes. If you’re thinking of using a chemical drain cleaner to clear your drains, please don’t and call us instead.

Make Sure Your Work is Permitted

Oftentimes, homeowners remodel their bathroom or update their plumbing to increase the resale value of their home. But, if you try to DIY these upgrades, it could have a hugely negative effect. If you were to try and make upgrades and changes without the proper permitting, you could significantly lower the value of your home. If you want major work done to your home—think re-piping or a remodel—it’s best to call the experts to preserve the value of your home.

Not Turning Off the Water

What’s the first thing you should do when working on your plumbing system? The answer is shut off your water. Though this may seem obvious, a lot of the time, it’s not. If you fail to turn off the water before conducting any plumbing work, it could result in a small flood, a huge mess, or incredibly leaky pipes. All of which are costly to fix.

Improper Use of Thread Tape

Another common plumbing mistake is the misuse of thread tape. Teflon tape, or PTFE thread, is easy to use, easy to find, and unfortunately, easy to mess up. When using Teflon tape to seal a pipe or fitting, make sure you’re wrapping it clockwise around the threading. If sealed incorrectly—i.e. counterclockwise—the tape will unwind, defeating the whole purpose of it in the first place. If you want to do something simple, like change out a showerhead, here are the proper steps:

  1. Use white or pink Teflon tape. This tape is made specifically for pipes carrying water.
  2. Wrap the tape clockwise around the threading. Make sure the last wrap is facing left.
  3. Screw on your fixture and make sure not to tighten too hard.

Over Tightening

Believe it or not, you can screw a pipe on too tight. This is one of the most common plumbing mistakes homeowners make. When screwing something into place, it seems logical to tighten it as far as your wrench can go, but this does more harm than good. When homeowners tighten something too hard, they run the risk of cracking the pipe or fitting. Additionally, over tightening could lead to cracked porcelain—if you’re fixing a toilet, leaks, and even floods.

Don’t DIY, Call Service Champions

If you’re dealing with any plumbing issues, call us! Service Champions Plumbing, Heating and AC is here for all your drain needs. Reach out to our friendly call center representatives or click here to request an appointment online.