Why Do I Need A Professional Plumber? | Buckhead, GA
Most homeowners in Buckhead, GA, are not expert plumbers. This is why a good working relationship with a professional plumber is so important. Renovations and remodels can have significant benefits for households, but it’s important to avoid the potential pitfalls of amateur plumbing work. A mistake can easily turn small problems into big ones.
Benefits on Your Water Bill and Daily Life
Many homeowners in Buckhead, GA, would love to stop the leaking noises coming from the bathroom sinks and bathtub during the night. Bathrooms, once known as water closets, are one of the most commonly used rooms in any home. It makes sense for homeowners to spend some time thinking of what they would like to have in their bathrooms before embarking on a new project. Kitchen remodels can have significant benefits as well.
Too many households are already losing money unnecessarily through plumbing. Incremental rises in the water bill aren’t always immediately noticed, but small increases add up over time. Approximately 10% of homes are already living with leaks that waste up to 90 gallons of water or more every day. Not only does this result in hundreds of dollars in losses each year, but it’s also extremely wasteful when clean water is becoming a bigger issue every day. A plumber can do wonders for your water bill after leaks have been located and fixed.
Fixing Common Problems
Recognizing a plumbing problem is the first step in fixing them. Clogged drains and toilets are fairly easy to spot, but weak water pressure or constantly running toilets are more difficult to pinpoint without assistance from a professional plumber. It’s also important to remember that the most costly aspect of a plumbing problem is water damage. Don’t wait too long to address a plumbing issue. Waiting could cost you even more money and cause even more problems than addressing the issue immediately would have. A very common myth is that a drain can’t be clogged if you can still flush things down the toilet or rinse things down the sink. This isn’t true. Continuous use when a clog already exists can easily turn into an overflow situation with dirty water flooding out of a toilet or sink and contaminating everything within reach.
Destructive Toilet Cleaning Myths
It’s understandable to want a quick, easy way to clean a toilet. No one wants a dirty bathroom, and it’s always more pleasant to look at a shiny, white clean toilet bowl instead of a dingy, stained surface. Many households use drop-in toilet cleaners such as bleach-chlorine tablets. Although these tablets seem like convenient, easily used solutions, they can actually cause quite a bit of damage. The lovely blue water could be hiding the damage that’s occurring. Replacing a toilet is a significantly more expensive step than cleaning it without using drop-in tablets.
Corrosion and Leaks
Drop-in tablets became very popular In the 1990s. However, toilet manufacturers noticed more repair calls for new toilets after these tablets were introduced. The toilets shouldn’t have worn out so quickly, so further studies soon revealed that chemicals in dop-in tablets were causing deterioration of flush valves, flappers, and other parts of the toilet. A simp[le solution often led to extensive repair and replacement costs. Bleach tablets are alkaline, which means they are very corrosive. Rubber components of the toilet may become brittle and other aspects of the toilet can also wear out in a much shorter length of time than necessary.
Chlorine tablets dissolve in water, which lets caustic liquid interact with plastic and rubber parts. Gaskets and washers are especially vulnerable. The toilet eventually leaks and flushing may become less and less effective. Corrosion increases the longer a tablet remains dissolved in water without being flushed. Some homeowners leave dissolved tablets sitting for hours at a time under the mistaken belief that they’re cleaning and disinfecting their toilets. A warranty may not do much good after using drop-in tablets. Manufacturers frequently include warning labels instructing homeowners not to use tablets. Violating those instructions can void the warranty.
Cleaning a Bowl Correctly
Cleaning a toilet bowl manually with gentle cleansers and a brush is a much better option than tablets. Anti-lime cleansers may remove dark rings and stubborn stains. However, don’t put cleansers in the tank or bowl and let them sit. Just use cleansers to scrub the toilet then flush and let new water enter the tank. You may need to call your plumber if damage has already occurred. Your plumber may be able to replace corroded parts and repair the toilet if damage hasn’t gone too far.
Dissolved tablets can also get stuck in the flush valve during disintegration. The mashed-up bits of the tablet prevent flushing and block water flow. Tiny pieces can also get pulled into small passages that stop the bowel from filling with freshwater or turn the refilling process into a mere trickle. If your toilet is leaking and refilling doesn’t happen properly, you may notice higher water bills.
Other Harmful Myths
Other common myths, such as running hand soap down the drain or crushing lemons in a garbage disposal, aren’t actually very useful, and they aren’t supported by professional plumbers. They can even have negative effects. It’s much better to call a plumber to address slow drains or a smelly garbage disposal and get the problem fixed. Custom plumbing work can also have significant benefits, but only if the work is completed correctly.
Contact Peach Plumbing & Drain in Buckhead, GA, if you’ve noticed higher water bills or unusual sounds from your plumbing. The licensed plumbers at Peach Plumbing are also available to help with bathroom or kitchen remodels. Installing new bathroom fixtures is also much easier with professional help.
