Bad habits include more than just chewing your nails; they can include the way you treat your plumbing system. The chances are good that you indulge in a few of these habits without thinking twice. Once you look at how those habits can affect your Albuquerque plumbing, however, you’ll want to change your ways.

1. Flushing the Wrong Things Down Your Toilet

The only things you should flush in your toilet are toilet paper and human waste. Far too many people think that they can toss anything they want inside and treat their toilets as trash cans. The debris that you flush can lodge in the pipe and lead to big leaks. Feminine care products and baby wipes are examples of items you should not flush.

2. Ignoring Leaks

When you notice a small leak, you may feel tempted to ignore it or assume that it’s not a big deal. Even the most minor leaks can raise your water bill. You also risk the leak causing water damage to the floor below or the wall behind it. No matter how small the leak looks, you should take care of it quickly.

3. Avoiding Lawn Maintenance

You may wonder what taking care of your Albuquerque lawn has to do with your plumbing. Any trees or plants growing in your yard have roots that absorb nutrients and water from the ground. Those roots can easily spread in search of water or nutrients and push through tiny holes or cracks in your pipes. This is especially true during the blazing hot Albuquerque summers. As the roots grow, they will slowly take over the pipes and block water from reaching your faucets.

4. Trashing Your Garbage Disposal

While garbage disposals are tough, they’re not strong enough to handle all the trash you send through them. When you push grease down the sink, it can lodge in the pipe and form a huge clog. Don’t assume that flushing the pipe with hot water will help because the grease can still clog the pipe. There are other types of waste you should never put down your garbage disposal, such as chicken bones.

5. Using Drain Cleaners

Most hardware and big box stores sell drain cleaners. While you won’t have a problem using them every now and then, you should not rely on those cleaners for all your clogs. Drain cleaners use harsh chemicals that break up clogs and keep water moving through your pipes. These chemicals can do quite a bit of damage that causes the pipes to rust. You also risk the chemicals eating through your pipes.

Develop Good Habits

At All-Out Plumbing and Mechanical, we want to help you develop good plumbing habits. You can count on us for repiping and drain cleaning when your bad habits cause serious problems. If you live in Albuquerque, don’t worry about damaging the sewer system or your septic tank. Call us to learn how you can restore the damage your bad plumbing habits did and how good habits can help your system.