Whenever I tell people my husband is a plumber, they usually say: "That must be so handy!" And I always agree, yes, it absolutely is.
Whenever there's a plumbing (or heating) problem in my house, he knows how to solve it, and we don't have to spend extra money doing it or calling an emergency plumber late at night.
But instead of gatekeeping his secrets, I thought I'd ask him to share three of his favorite expert-approved tips that he thinks will help anyone in their home, so you can avoid making common plumbing mistakes.
Trust me, I should know if they work, because I literally use all three of them whenever needed. Here's some expert advice (free of charge) that'll hopefully even save you money in the future.
Just be sure to stick around for all three; I've saved my favorite until last.
1. Don't pour hot oil down your sink
Excess oil that you've been cooking with seems like a pretty reasonable thing to pour down your sink when you've finished with it. After all, it's greasy, runny, and edible. But don't do it.
As my plumber husband explains: "While hot oil is liquid when it's been heated up, once it cools down it sets hard. If you have an incorrect fall on your waste pipe, this oil can sit stationary inside it, leading to blockages.
"The best solution is to pour your hot oil into a foil-lined bowl, leave it to set, and then throw the foil directly into the trash once it has [congealed]."
2. Don't put bleach tablets in toilet tanks
Bleach tablets are my go-to for tackling limescale and germs in my toilets at home, but my husband always tells me that I shouldn't use them regularly and I certainly shouldn't be putting them into the tank of the toilet.
The thought hadn't crossed my mind, but he says it's quite a common mistake that people tend to make: "A bleach tablet has high concentrations of chlorine. This can cause internal parts of the [tank] to fail, leading to leaks and damage to your toilet's components."
So, while you think you may be cleaning your toilet thoroughly, you could actually be doing more harm than good, which can become quite a costly mistake. Just stick to popping them into the bowl.
3. Draw a pencil line around damp spots
Now, this one's my favorite, and it's one of those hacks you wonder why you didn't think of it yourself.
Whenever you spot a damp patch or stain in your home, here's what my plumber husband recommends: "I advise customers that if they notice a mark on their ceiling (most commonly), they should trace the outline with a pencil."
Why? Well, he adds: "If you leave it for 12 hours and come back, you'll see if the leak has gone past the pencil line. If it has, then you know you have an active leak."
And since a pencil is harmless to your ceiling, you can leave it a little longer to be extra sure or rub it away when you're fully satisfied that the leak has stopped.
Do you have any tips for saving money when it comes to plumbing? Let us know in the comments.
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