Plumbing Truths & Myths

A Primer on Plumbing Truths & Myths

Plumbing myths can do more than make you sound like a fool in front of your friends. They can cause unnecessary fear and extra 24 hour plumber repairs. Knowing the truth about plumbing can save money and lives. The following information about plumbing truths & myths will help keep you and your family safe.

Does Plumbing Conduct Lightning?

Grandmothers are famous for shutting down plumbing during storms to prevent electrocution. While this might sound like an old wives’ tale, it is true. Pipes are often made from metal which conducts electricity. Just ask any grade-schooler about Benjamin Franklin’s key and kite for a quick refresher on the conductive properties of metal.

Metal isn’t the only electrical conductor in your plumbing system. Water also conducts electricity. As a result, pipes filled with water are even more likely to be struck by lightning. The next time lightning strikes, stay out of its way by avoiding your plumbing fixtures.

Can Water Heaters Don’t Explode?

Water heaters seem like harmless pieces of equipment. After all, they’re a holding tank that heats the water. At first glance, a water heater might not seem any more dangerous than heating a kettle of water on your gas or electric range.

While this might seem to make sense, it is not valid. Water heaters do explode. Ask our 24 hour plumber. As water heats, its pressure increases. Water heaters have a pressure relief valve to release pressure when it gets too high for the tank to accommodate safely. Pressure relief valves, like the rest of the heater, can fail. When this happens, the pressure inside the water tank can build up enough to blow up the water heater. Yearly tank flushing can prevent this dangerous scenario and a frantic call to our emergency plumbing service.

Do Orange Peels Keep Your Garbage Disposal Healthy?

Social media is full of beautiful ideas for natural living. One of the more popular tidbits recently is maintaining your garbage disposal by putting orange peels down your drain. While orange peels make your kitchen smell fantastic, they won’t do anything to prolong the life of your garbage disposal. If you have an older disposal, the peels might cause issues that require an emergency plumbing service.

Skip the peels and stick to water which pushes scraps through your disposal faster. This helps your motor functioning under less strain and reduces the calls you’ll make to our 24 hour plumber to provide emergency plumbing solutions.

Are Flushable Wipes are Safe for Your Toilet?

Flushable wipes are much more popular than their non-flushable cousins. A large part of their charm is that flushing is more convenient than frequently emptying a trash can. Unfortunately, our team of plumbing truths & myths detectives can’t name flushable wipes toilet-friendly.

While you can flush such wipes, that doesn’t mean you should be doing it. So-called flushable wipes do clog toilets badly enough to require emergency plumbing service. No matter which type of wipes you use, you should throw them into the trash.

Is it Really OK to Let Your Faucet Drip?

Much like throwing wipes into the trash, listening to a dripping faucet is annoying and doesn’t require a call to our 24 hour plumber for emergency plumbing service. Ignoring this little problem can waste more than 2,000 gallons of water in a year. At Schuler Plumbing, LLC, we’re here to help you separate plumbing truths & myths while maximizing your plumbing system.

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