Dissecting Five Common Plumbing Myths

Here, at Team Rooter, we have seen quite a few interesting and challenging cases, most of which we overcame safely and efficiently. But, like most businesses and this line of work, there are myths and untruths that need addressing. Below we have a list of the five most common plumbing myths to help you separate fact from fiction.

In addition, you should schedule routine maintenance calls, and reach out to us if things look and sound suspicious. You don’t want a small problem in a pipe or sewage line, the water heater, or the toilet become a bigger issue, or worse, a disastrous event costing you lots of money to fix. Our certified team is ready to look into your plumbing issues and address them correctly. Here are the five plumbing myths we wanted to share and dissect.

1. Ice cubes sharpen the blades on the garbage disposal

Somehow this unlikely situation is something people have started believing. Garbage disposals do not have blades. They usually use a teeth-like design to breakdown and grind solid food into a more liquid form as the disposal keeps spinning. Just let the cool water flow from the faucet and help dispose the food items and push them out of the unit and into the pipes and out.

Additionally, here are a few other items you should not pour into your garbage disposal: coffee grounds, bones, pasta, oatmeal, nuts, eggshells, and well, trash that belongs into a waste bin. Keeping it clean will ensure proper operation.

2. Cat Litter is Safe to Flush 

Yes, you can flush it down the toilet if you use a water soluble litter – but the cat poop in the litter is toxic, especially to pregnant women since the poop can have parasites. Therefore, just scoop the poop and dispose separately. 

3. Water heaters do not explode

Oh, but they can. Water heaters have a pressure relief valve. If that valve is faulty or fails, that pressure cannot be releases. Therefore, the tank can explode. That’s why we recommend a visit by our Team Rooter plumbers for an annual maintenance to make sure everything works properly and safely.

4. Hot water helps dissolve the grease in clogged pipes

Yes, hot water can help melt the grease and push it down the drain, but keep in mind that the liquid grease will cool, take a more solid form and become a build up and clog the pipes. The grease then becomes a nest for small food pieces, hair and lint. Worse part, the deeper the clogs are in the pipe, the harder to reach them. 

5. Critters crawling up the pipes

We call myth on this one. Well, a little! These incidents are so rare; they make the news if they happen. In 2013, two different pythons crawled up into two different toilet bowls of a couple’s home in Australia. In 1999 (according to an article in the Richmond Times Dispatch – available in the Nexis news database) a Petersburg, Va., woman was bitten by a rat as she was sitting down on the toilet. It looks like the rat crawled through city sewer lines, and attacked the victim. A local health official said “this is the first I’ve heard of anybody being bitten by a rat while on the toilet.”

Make sure to contact us at Team Rooter with your questions, and if needed, schedule a visit. One of our skilled plumbers will come in and look at the plumbing issue and suggest the most efficient way and a timeline to fix it.