{"id":1106,"date":"2017-12-04T12:58:55","date_gmt":"2017-12-04T12:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alkemergencyplumbers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1106"},"modified":"2020-08-28T04:09:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-28T03:09:41","slug":"things-plumber-wishes-didnt-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alkemergencyplumbers.co.uk\/blog\/things-plumber-wishes-didnt-do\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Things Your Plumber Wishes You Didn’t Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plumbers<\/strong><\/a> like work, but sometimes, repairing the same mistakes over and over again can be a little wearing.<\/p>\n

You can save yourself a lot of time and money if you avoid the behaviours that plumbers wish homeowners didn\u2019t do — and you\u2019ll save yourself a fortune if you follow their advice.<\/p>\n

So, without further ado, here\u2019s a list of the things your plumber wishes you didn\u2019t do\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

#1 – Flush Anything But Toilet Roll<\/h2>\n

We know how it is; the toilet is right there, it can whisk a cotton bud or a baby wipe away in seconds, so you think: \u201cwhat harm can it do?\u201d, and you use the toilet to dispose of the item in question.<\/p>\n

This is a bad idea; if it\u2019s not toilet roll, don\u2019t flush it; it\u2019s a surefire way to clog your pipes.<\/p>\n

#2 – Don\u2019t Know Where Your Main Water Valve Is (Or How To Operate It)<\/h2>\n

Plumber: \u201cCan you turn the water off for me, please?\u201d
\nHomeowner: \u201cErm\u2026 where is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s different for every house, so ensure you know where the valve is before you call a plumber<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

#3 – Forget To Service Your Water Heater<\/h2>\n

Water heaters aren\u2019t meant to last for as long as houses, and they certainly won\u2019t if you don\u2019t ensure that a professional services them on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

A service should be performed annually, and your heater replaced every five to ten years.<\/p>\n

#4 – DIY What You Don\u2019t Understand<\/h2>\n

Professional repair services can be expensive, yes, but the cost of fixing a poor DIY job is always going to be more costly than just getting the right work done in the first place.<\/p>\n

#5 – Do Anything To Your Boiler<\/h2>\n

Leave your boiler alone; this is an appliance that should only be touched by those with the relevant qualifications and experience.<\/p>\n

Boilers are genuinely dangerous items, so don\u2019t do anything to them bar open the door to let a service professional or engineer take a closer look.<\/p>\n

#6 – Touch Pressure Valves<\/h2>\n

DIY might sound like a good idea, but pressure valves throughout your entire system are tricky to handle and can be very difficult to correct.<\/p>\n

You should always leave them alone unless you have the requisite experience to handle them correctly.<\/p>\n

#7 – Put Anything In Your Cistern<\/h2>\n

It might be a nice fragrance or a product designed to help make cleaning the toilet easier– either way, they\u2019re bad news.<\/p>\n

The only items that belong in your cistern are those that are required to keep the system running smoothly.<\/p>\n

#8 – Pour Cooking Oils and Fats Down The Sink<\/h2>\n

It might seem like an easy solution in the moment, but pouring cooking oils and fats down the sink is a surefire to cause drain and sink blockages<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not only is this bad for you, but it\u2019s outright horrible for plumbers, who have to remove the remnants from pipes– a job that is every bit as unpleasant as it sounds.<\/p>\n

#9 – You Don\u2019t Use A \u201cHair Catcher\u201d In Your Shower<\/h2>\n

Hair catchers — inexpensive, plastic drain covers — can make a huge difference to the health of your drains.<\/p>\n

Given how easy they are to buy and install, you can save yourself a lot of problems by ensuring you have one in place.<\/p>\n

You should also use a similar drain cover in the kitchen sink, especially if you don\u2019t use a dishwasher; it can help catch oils and fats from washing up.<\/p>\n

As discussed above, oils and fats in your drains are Bad Things, so protect your drains and make life simpler for all concerned.<\/p>\n

#10 – Use Chemical Drain Cleaners<\/h2>\n

Chemical drain cleaners are meant to solve a problem, but they are staggeringly ineffective at what they do.<\/p>\n

If you have a drain blockage, then it\u2019s far easier — and safer for you, given how corrosive some of the supermarket cleaners can be — to call a plumber to deal with the issue quickly and effectively from the start.<\/p>\n

Before you do that give our homemade sink unblocker<\/strong><\/a> article a good read.<\/p>\n

#11 – Leave Your Water On When You Go On Holiday<\/h2>\n

If you head off on holiday for a fortnight and don\u2019t turn your water off, then a small problem can become a catastrophic one in the days you\u2019re not there to notice it.<\/p>\n

The cleanup job is always harder and the fix is more difficult, so turn your water off if you\u2019re going to be away from home for more than a couple of days.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that if you ban yourself from doing the above, your life — and that of your plumber — is going to be far easier.<\/p>\n

With a few simple changes, you can ensure the maintenance of your home, and make any repair jobs that do become necessary far easier to complete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You can save yourself a lot of time and money if you avoid the behaviours that plumbers wish homeowners didn\u2019t do \u2014 and you\u2019ll save yourself a fortune if you follow their advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plumbing"],"yoast_head":"\n11 Things Your Plumber Wishes You Didn't Do | ALK Plumbing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You can save yourself a lot of time and money if you avoid the behaviours that plumbers wish homeowners didn\u2019t do. 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