Plumbing myths are often shared by friends and family and most of them are really just myths. Some of them create unnecessary anxiety about a situation and some provide information that just isn’t accurate or true. Throughout our history as a plumbing company in Dallas, we’ve heard plenty of myths and offer sewer tips and tricks. From hot water heaters to garbage disposals, most homeowners have heard something that isn’t true or at least not entirely accurate related to plumbing. What we have below are a few very common plumbing myths that you might have heard and our opinion of them.
My Water Heater Is Going to Explode!
While this sounds very dangerous, it really isn’t all that bad. If you hear popping coming from your water heater, it isn’t likely that it will explode. The issue is probably sediment at the bottom of the tank. This sediment is made up of hard water, calcium and other loose minerals and is preventing heat from rising properly when the water heater is turned on.
This not only causes an inefficient water heater, but it does create some sounds that can cause fear for homeowners. If you water heater is over 10 years old, our Dallas plumbing company recommends performing a new water heater installation.
Ice Cubes Sharpen Garbage Disposal Blades
This isn’t true at all, however ice cubes will help clear out and clean the blades on your garbage disposal. Does ice sharpen your butcher knife? No…so there is no reason that an ice cube would sharpen the blades in your disposal.
A Leaky Faucet Isn’t a Big Deal
A leaky faucet may seem harmless. However, did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 1 trillion gallons of water can be wasted each year by homeowners. That is the equivalent of 11 million households. In the Dallas area water has become an issue and a resource that should not be wasted. So, a leaky faucet contributes to our water shortage issue and it can cause other issues. For example it can harm the hardware or cause the finish to tarnish on the sink which leads to additional costs down the road.
The Tighter You Turn off a Faucet the Better
While common logic would make you think that turning a faucet as tight as you can would help keep water from coming out, it can actually hurt the faucet. The tightness can actually cause damage to the stems and contribute to a leak. So, our Dallas plumbing company advises that you don’t over tighten your handles when you are turning off the water.
For more sewer tips and tricks, please gives our plumbing company in Dallas a call at 972-681-4434 or contact us for more information.
