The Top 5 Plumbing Myths

In many St. Michael homes, people avoid regular maintenance for many reasons. Some people may not have time to do much else when a day off arrives. Others may have the time needed, but would rather spend their free time enjoying themselves.

Then there are those people who decide to work around the house, but have unusual ideas when it comes to their plumbing systems. If your home is one that has work done based on various plumbing myths, here are some reasons why what's being done isn't working very well.

Lemons Only Smell Good

Lemon rinds are a common item used to supposedly clean garbage disposals, but their cleaning powers are extremely limited. In most cases, all that's done is making the disposal smell like lemons. To really clean a disposal, St. Michael plumbers recommend using warm water and soap along with a sturdy cleaning brush.

By spraying the warm water and soap into the disposal and letting it soak for 10-20 minutes, any food particles and grime can be easily removed with a brush. However, prior to doing this, be sure the disposal is unplugged from its power source, or getting shocked is a real possibility.

Hand Soap and Fixtures

Fixtures should not only be checked regularly for leaks, but should also be cleaned as well. However, many people believe cleaning fixtures with hand soap is fine. But if that's used, be prepared to have fixtures that look smeared and dirty due to the soap damaging the fixture's finish.

Rather than let this happen, plumbers state that baking soda will work much better and be far less abrasive. After the fixtures have been cleaned, other plumbing parts like pipes and drains should also be checked for any leaks or rust. If anything is found, a plumber will be needed to make the necessary repairs.

Drains and Grease

Pouring grease down a drain will be one of the quickest ways to make sure clogs form, no matter what various myths might say. And unfortunately, running hot water down the drain will do nothing to stop clogs from happening.

Garbage disposals, also known for having numerous types of garbage put inside them, will also not benefit from having water run while grinding up trash. Many people choose to believe if water is running in the disposal, it can then grind up numerous types of trash such as cigarettes, banana peels, and even metal cans.

Are you having trouble with your St. Michael, MN plumbing system? Call B & D Plumbing, Heating & A/C at (763) 497-2290 for all your repair needs!