If you have ever had a pipe burst in your bathroom or your toilet go into overflow mode in the middle of the night you have undoubtedly searched the terms plumber near me in sheer panic mode [been there - done that]. There are things that you may be doing daily that are contributing to your plumbing issues in your home. If you are guilty of any one of these things at one point or another you may the cause of your plumbing problems.

 

If you are flushing anything more than just toilet paper down the toilet you may be contributing to any future plumbing issues that you may have. If you live in the US for example, there are some household products that are considered safe to flush down the toilet in addition to good old toilet paper. If you are living in certain countries in Europe even toilet paper is not allowed to be flushed. If you are flushing other things down your toilet bowl you will eventually cause the system to back up and overflow.

Many of the products available in your local supermarket to clear drain clogs are extremely toxic to breath in and can be caustic to your skin. These chemicals can also take a toll on your pipes. The chemicals present in most drain cleaning products are so concentrated and strong that they may clear the drain temporarily but they can be eating away at your pipes and valves causing more damage than they are worth in the long run.

 

If you don’t clean out your drains until your shower starts pooling water every morning this can also be contributing to plumbing issues at home. You should be examining your drains and cleaning out any excess buildup or hair or other debris that can get caught and cause blockages.

 

There are some things that you can absolutely DIY but if you have a real plumbing problem you might want to rely on a professional to fix it. There are simple bathroom and kitchen fixes like stopping a small leak but if you have larger issues with your plumbing trying to fix it yourself may make matters worse. Chances are you are not qualified to be doing this type of work and if your goal is to save a buck or two, find a local plumber to help you so that you are saving on potential larger scale repairs.

 

This is one of the worst things that you can do. Cooking oil and grease should never be poured down the drain in any sink in your home. The oil and grease will harden and can build up along the pipes that are meant to drain water. Oil and grease will also harden in the sewer system causing issues for the people around you if you are a serial offender.

If you stop doing these 5 things today you should be spending less time searching for a plumber and more time enjoying life!