Running water is serene but plumbing is terrifying. Lucky for us, our best friend just happens to be in the field! Lucky for you, he's agreed to give us a solid list of what to do/not to do in regards to the pipes. If free advice isn't enough for you, just know that #11 has a little something to do with S-E-X...
We'll cut right to the chase with our friend's #1 bit of advice:
1. Use a live enzyme plumbing product (such as Bio-Clean) to maintain sewer lines and keep them from clogging from grease or other byproducts. The product may seem expensive but it will save you tons of money and hassle in the future.
2. Know where your water main shuts off. If you live in a condo, find out if individual units will shut off or if the whole building has to be turned off. This comes in handy when you have a very bad leak.
3.. Remove hoses from outside faucets before they freeze in the fall. When you remove the hose, it allows (new, freezeless) faucets to drain out and not ice over.
4. Check and make sure all stops under sinks and behind toilets turn easily so you can shut those off if you ever have a problem.
5. If you're installing or designing a new bathroom, make sure you have access to tub and shower valves from the other side of the wall(s) on which they are located. Never place new valves on an outside wall.
6. When buying a new home, make sure the sewer lines are checked for any root or settling problems.
7. Don't put large quantities of coffee grounds or MOST ANY STARCH PRODUCT (rice, potatoes, bread, etc.) down your garbage disposal! As my cousin found out, starch will turn into a paste and clog the drain. Coffee grounds tend to attract grease and build-up. Small chunks of the stuff are fine but if you peel a dozen potatoes into the sink and then try to stuff everything down the pig you are asking for it!
8. Make sure you know where all of your clean-outs (the access to the sewer line) are located.
9. Over time, galvanized water lines can corrode or rust shut. Copper lines are great. The new PEX or plastic pipes - although far less expensive than copper - are not nearly as durable and don't perform nearly as well.
10. Cheap fixtures (no matter how stylish they appear) are just that: cheap fixtures. They will break. Plumbing products and plumbers are expensive.
BONUS #11: Don't have sex on the toilet! The can isn't built to take all that rockin' back and forth.
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Matt the plumber has a WAY better ring to it than Joe the plumber.
oh, no. i was PRAYING no one was going to mention "Joe". crap!
HA! Couldn't resist.
LOL briggley
I always wondered about the coffee grounds; my apt asks us not to do that, too. Anyway, it's a good idea to just use the disposal for whatever little bits end up at the bottom of the sink. Put large items in the trash (or better, the compost.)
I've heard that coffee grounds make great plant fertilizer; if you're trying to find a non-wasteful way to dispose of them, you might ask a neighbor or friend who gardens if they would like them for their plants. (Or if, unlike me, you don't have the uncanny ability to kill any and every plant unfortunate enough to come into contact with you, use them on your own.)
#7: Better advice would be to not put any garbage down the disposal or the drain. Is it not common knowledge by now?
Joe the plumber rules!
i heard that in new york city, garbage disposals are not used, or legal, now. true? not true? apparently sedimentation in the rivers.
avianmission: Was true! For ages, we were forbidden to have garbage disposals because there weren't enough separate storm and sewage drains to tackle the refuse. But ten years ago the ban was lifted.
"The new PEX or plastic pipes - although far less expensive than copper - are not nearly as durable and don't perform nearly as well."
That's definitely debatable (PEX vs. copper), and I don't think it's good advice to give a blanket statement like this. There are a number of situations where PEX is a far better choice than copper (e.g. where the water is corrosive, where the pipes could freeze, etc.), and a good plumber will be willing to work with a homeowner to determine the best solution for their particular plumbing project.
I read somewhere that new york city has overturned the no garbage disposal rule, but only if you live in a building that has larger (I cannot for the life of me remember the diameter) pipes. A plumber should be able to tell you if your pipes are big enough.
Two other rules that people should know if they don't already:
Never put anything with stringy fibers down the garbage disposal like celery or green onions because they can get wrapped around the parts and freeze it up.
And never put grease down the drain either. It may be liquid when it goes in, but it will solidify in the pipes and cause blockages.
OH MAN, my friends actually had sex on their toilet and broke it and I thought, for sure, they are the only people in the world to have done so...:( I have been proved wrong.
On a more serious note,
I don't have a disposal or a dishwasher. Regardless of how many times I have wiped down any small food scraps-before I wash a plate so the food won't go down the drain-into the trash, or how much water and soap I use to wash the dishes, my sink smells like rotten food! Previously I didn't take as much care with wiping the dishes down to prevent a small amount of food going down the drain. However, after I started to notice the smell, I immediately went ape shit with scraping every last bit of food off my plates into the trash and pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain- I heard that was an eco-friendly way to clean pipes. Unfortunately this hasn't done much, and even my cleaned plates/cups smell like this "baby vomit," I don't know what the heck to do! It doesn't help that my water smells kind of funky, either haha.
Anybody have the same problem?
Tip # 11...... ewww!
7... starch will turn any starch into a paste and clog the drain...
Um, what? Can someone explain that?
That's the best post EVER!
bebetree: try the Bio-clean or go looking for any 'live enzyme' compost starter/pipe cleaner. The stuff I use is liquid and smells kinda like tooth paste.
Anna: In regards to pex, The pipe may freeze and not break but the fittings will. The fittings are also known to fracture under stress when clamps are applied, breaking long after install, leaving the installer plenty of outs and more money out of your pocket. I won't say there isn't a place for it (like a home that is likely to be broken into for salvage.), I just think it's cheap, looks bad, ill behaved, and still in it's development stage. It was also developed for trailer houses. But that's just my opinion...
Whenever my sink smells food funky, I pour baking soda followed by vinegar down it. I know it probably doesn't "deep" clean, but it eliminates a lot of the stank.
Ooops! Thanks for the editorial catch, That70sHeidi. All fixed now.
Here's the ULTIMATE garbage disposal (also check out the links to the flats here).
http://www.barbicanliving.co.uk/d11b.html
BTW Pex is, if not illegal, then is not to code in Chicago, so don't use it for plumbing, i.e. water supply. Not sure if it's ok with radiant heating systems though.
my bathroom sink drain was running slow, so i checked-out some drain cleaners at a local plumbing supply place. one of the guys there, who had been a plumber for 20 years, told me to skip the toxic stuff and use baking soda! (gquaker, you're definitely on to something!) he said to run HOT tap water for a minute or two, sprinkle a cup of baking soda down the drain, then follow it up with 2 spaghetti-sized pots full of BOILING water. well, it worked! turned out to be a great tip...and green too!
I regularly pour boiling water down the drain as build-up prevention. Just a little extra in the kettle for the drain does the trick.
Just bought some Bio-Clean $45 for a jar. Hope it works.
Pex was not developed for trailer homes, it has been used for Hydronics (In floor heating pipes) for decades, as well as in Europe as general plumbing for ages as well. I think there is a lot of resistance to this type of plumbing because plumbers will "save too much time" for a job that pays by the hour.
When he says don't put potato peelings down the disposal, it's the absolute truth. I've done it twice---about 20 years apart---and I had to call the plumber both times. And it was during a holiday too, both times. I think I've learned my lesson now.
Awesome tips! Thanks so much for the help. Unfortunately the leak in our bathroom right now seems to be above my level of expertise. No matter what I do it just keeps coming back. If anyone knows where I should go to find help with my plumbing in Mississauga I would appreciate it. Thanks so much!