Five Plumbing Myths Debunked

Popular Plumbing Myths that People Actually Believe

“True or False” is everyone’s favorite game, isn’t it? Plumbing is one of the oldest professions in the world. When it comes to residential plumbing systems, our Plumbers have seen and heard it all. There are a number of hacks that people believe, some true, some not so much.

We’ll now attempt debunk some common plumbing myths below:

Top Five Plumbing Myths

Myth # 1: A leaky faucet is no big deal.

Sure, it might not be bothering you, but a leaking bathroom faucet can cause damage and cost you a ton of money. On top of that, it’s awful for the environment – wasting about a trillion gallons annually.

Myth # 2: Flushing Cat Litter Down the Toilet

Please don’t do this! For one thing, cat feces contain parasites that can be extremely harmful to human beings as well as to marine life. The wastewater treatment facility will likely eradicate these parasites, but why risk it? (Note that the risk is most acute for pregnant women.)

Myth #3: Ice cubes sharpen garbage disposal blades.

No they DON’T! This plumbing myth is a head scratcher but a lot of people believe it. While they will clean the blades up a bit they aren’t going to make them any sharper.

Myth #4: You should flush lemon peels down the disposal to make it smell good.

Well, it might smell good but you shouldn’t do it. Lemon peels will likely clog your drain unless you have a really powerful disposal. Not to test it, use white vinegar instead when you feel your disposal needs to be freshened up a bit.

Myth 5: Hot Water Dislodge Slow Drains

It’s understandable to believe that hot water will melt grease and carry it safely through the plumbing system. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Once that liquefied grease gets further down the pipes, it cools down and re-solidifies. One meat marinara night won’t cause a clog, but repeated grease dumping eventually will. It’s best to keep a heat-proof container to collect grease and toss it in the trash when it’s full.