8 Plumbing Myths - Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical

Here are 8 common plumbing myths we hear the most:

Myth #1: You can leave hoses on frost-free wall hydrants and they won’t burst during winter.

You should remove hoses from frost-free wall hydrants and drain them completely. Otherwise, you do in fact risk a burst during winter.

Myth #2: Putting in an object to displace water in the back of the toilet tank (e.g., brick, bag of rocks, containers, etc.) will save water and/or money.

It doesn’t actually save you water or money. Your toilet still just flushes and fills up the same exact amount of water, because the toilet’s tank float will ensure that a specific amount of water is used.

Myth #3: It’s perfectly fine to pour grease down the drain.

It is not OK to pour grease down your drain because, while it starts in liquid form, it will not wash all the way down the drain unimpeded. As soon as it goes down the drain, it will become solid and potentially clog the pipe.

Myth #4: You can put any kind of food down the garbage disposal.

This is completely false—if you put certain things down the disposal, it will cause it to stop up and result in a problem for you.

Myth #5: It’s OK to flush ‘flushable wipes’ down the toilet.

There is no such thing as a flushable wipe, even though the name might indicate otherwise. You can buy ‘flushable wipes’ at most stores, but they don’t act the same way as toilet paper. Septic systems and sewage systems are made/designed around biodegradable paper. As long as flushable wipes are not made from the same exact biodegradable paper, they are not OK to be flushed.

Myth #6: Drain cleaners are safe and non-toxic.

This is another statement that is completely untrue. The base product in drain cleaners is acid, which is extremely corrosive. You are breathing the fumes and/or dumping the product down a pipe that might be made out of metal (which could potentially damage the pipe). If you’re going to use any type of drain product, use a drain maintenance product instead of a drain cleaner. Some of these products are non-toxic and will keep a clean drain from getting clogged up in the first place. (We do offer a half gallon product with 64 uses.)

Myth #7: Rumbling sounds are a sign that a water heater is going to explode.

Everyone has seen videos of a water heater flying through someone’s roof. But just because a water heater is making noise doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to explode—it could just be due to poor water quality that needs to be resolved.

Myth #8: Cleaning tablets that turn the toilet water blue are cool and/or useful.

These products actually aren’t a very good idea. The tablets you drop into the back of the toilet tank are chlorine-based and contain a high amount of chlorine—enough to damage the rubber components in the back of the toilet, which will eventually dry rot.

If you have any questions about these myths, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing and Air by contacting us online or giving us a call at 540-483-9382.