A good shower can do wonders for your mind and body and is an essential part of people’s daily routines. However, if you fall into a couple of common bad shower habits, this beneficial part of your day can take a toll on your plumbing system. This list is to help you check and change those bad habits so your relaxing shower time doesn’t turn into fixing a stressful plumbing problem!
Long Showers
Long, hot showers are good for the soul. They can help with muscle recovery, improving circulation, relieving headaches, and reducing stress. However, a hot shower is not great for your bathroom.
A lengthy shower with the heat turned all the way up can cause mold growth in every nook and cranny of your bathroom. Improper ventilation can exasperate this issue, but in many cases, it can still occur even with proper ventilation. You can prevent this problem by taking showers less than 10 minutes, not turning the heat up too high, and properly installing and checking up on the ventilation in your bathroom. This will also help lower the cost of your water bill and add a few years of life to your water heater!
Hair in the Drain
It seems like an inevitable part of life, but hair being left in your drain can do serious damage to your plumbing system.
You may notice only a few hairs going down the drain at a time, but that slowly builds up to become a lot of hair. The hair that has accumulated burrows into the pipes like a bird’s nest and prevents water from flowing through. Hair clogs put a ton of pressure on pipes and can create a bad (and expensive) pipe burst. Use a drain cover so it stops the hair before it heads down the drain and causes you trouble down the road.
Using Chemical Drain Cleaners
If that last point has you thinking, “Why not use a chemical drain cleaner to clear the clog?” Then you’re definitely going to want to read this section carefully.
Chemical drain cleaners are not only bad for the environment but can wreak havoc on your plumbing system. Store-bought cleaners are extremely acidic and corrosive. When you use them, they will eat away at whatever’s clogging your drain, but it will also coat the inside lining of your pipe. If it isn’t completely washed away (which can be hard to achieve) then it will degrade and corrode your pipes. Not to mention, these chemicals are extremely dangerous to inhale and get on your skin.
Your best course of action if you have a clog? Call a trained plumber from Wyman Plumbing & Mechanical who’ll be able to assess and solve the problem quickly.
Leaving Small Plumbing Problems
Many plumbing problems come with warning signs before you’re in deep trouble. Constant dripping from your showerhead may not seem like that big of a deal, but it might be a sign that you need to adjust the water pressure before the plumbing gets ruined. Faster running water, slower running water, dripping showerheads, oddly colored water, and poor drainage among other things need to be addressed quickly by a plumber. That way, you can catch the small problem before it turns into a costly big one.
Ignoring Hard Water Build Up
Living in Arizona, we’re no stranger to hard water. But did you know turning on the water in your home could be damaging your plumbing systems?
Hard water is often rich in certain minerals that can clog showerheads. When the hard water dries, it can leave a deposit. Over time, these deposits can block the showerhead nozzle and reduce water flow. Hard water is also tough on your hair and skin.
An easy fix is to use a little white vinegar to remove the deposits from your showerhead. But if you want to take it a step further, get a whole house filtration system. It will filter out the hard water in your entire home so you won’t have to deal with it any longer.
Wyman Plumbing & Mechanical is Here to Help
No matter if you have a small clog or a big, emergency plumbing issue, Wyman Plumbing & Mechanical is here to solve the problem quickly. While headquartered in North Phoenix, we proudly service the entire North Valley area and are ready to help you with your plumbing needs!
