Demystifying myths about plumbing

For most of us, plumbing is a foreign concept that we know little to nothing about. Most of us either call a plumber or our parents when there is a plumbing issue in our home, I just recently moved out of my parents’ home, and I still call my mom whenever there is an issue in my condo or something that I can’t do or find, as if she will miraculous come to my place in the click of a button. So, we need to learn a lot more about plumbing, not necessarily how to fix it per se but to be aware when and when not to call a plumber for help. We live in the age of the internet, and there are a lot of myths circulating around, and we need to debunk them because not everything we see online is real.

#Myth 1- Mixing hot water with grease helps it go down the drain

Okay, this is a little inside tip, but never and I repeat, never pour grease, hot or cold, down your drain. This is a big no-no, as the oil will harden in your drain and will eventually cause blockage and clog your drain. Pouring hot water down the drain only cleans up your basin and does piratically nothing to clean the grease. The grease travels further down the pipe and hardens to its sides and becomes harder to remove. Fun fact, food and other detritus that you let down the drain will stick to the grease and, over time, will make the water reflux and will create a massive mess in your kitchen sink. To get rid of grease, wipe it down with a paper towel and throw it in your garbage can; this is the safest way of getting rid of grease.

#Myth 2- Cat litter is flushable

I am sure by now that you have seen those commercials about flushable cat litter, and I am not here to debunk those; yes, they actually work and for once, you can trust the commercials. But what is not flushable in your toilet is cat feces. Cat feces contain a toxic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii which can be dangerous to water ecosystems and human beings alike. Though it’s not toxic to most adults, you should rest assured that if you flush your cat feces down the drain and use it afterward, it can be dangerous for immunodeficient and pregnant people.

#Myth 3- Flushable wipes can be flushed down the toilet

Unlike some flushable cat litters, flushable wipes aren’t, which was a big shocker because it is in their name. They are marked as flushable but can cause absolute havoc to your toilet and your plumbing system; this is why you are advised not to flush everything down the toilet. According to plumbers, the leading issue for plumbing blockage is wet, and baby wipes. But why? This is because most wet wipes contain a certain amount of plastic in them will aren’t soluble like toilet paper. These wet wipes don’t disintegrate in the water, and they remain whole when they enter our sewage system, which can lead to disastrous consequences when this reaches the sea, as animal-like sea turtles and fish can mistake them for jellyfish and choke on them. This is one of the many reasons we advise you to use a bidet or toilet paper when using the toilet, as it prevents issues later down the line.

#Myth 4- You can flush down your dead pets

Well, yes, this is true, but prior to doing this, you need to ensure that your pet is really dead. A lot of people flush down their undesirable pets or pets that they believe are dead down the pipe because this is something we see in most movies, and if they can do it in movies, this means we can do it too, right? As mentioned earlier, yes, you can, but if you flush down a living pet down the drain, this may impact the natural ecosystem. Your pet may survive their journey down the drain and may become oversized in the sewer and may reproduce and upset the natural ecosystem. This is why the myth of sewer alligators may be true because people flush out their pets down the drain when they become undesirable or when they think their pets have died.

Sound off in the comments below if you believe in any of these myths.