The plumbing in condo buildings, especially the large ones, can be a sensitive thing. In an effort to save you (and your friendly property manager) some headaches, here is a list of six things you should most definitely not do with your plumbing.
- Not using a drain guard.
This is an obvious one, but many people ignore it in practice. If you don’t have drain guards in your kitchen sinks (or if you have them but don’t use them), enough food will eventually make its way into the pipe to create you problems. - Overtaxing your disposal.
The disposal unit is really just meant for minor leftovers on your plate. Do not attempt to dispose of large quantities of any solid, or you’ll likely have problems. - Flushing strange things down the toilet.
Despite what many people think, toilets can’t handle anything and everything. If you have to stop and think about whether it’s a good idea to flush a household object down the toilet, chances are it’s not a good idea. - Using the wrong tools to unclog.
While we respect and DIYer, not all clogs are created equal, and using the wrong tools for the job can damage the fixtures you’re attempting to unclog. For example, attempting to use a standard drain snake on a toilet clog will scratch the porcelain enamel of the bowl, resulting in bigger problems. - Letting pipes freeze.
Keeping your home warm during the winter months, even when you’re not home is crucial for not having to deal with frozen pipes and major leaking. Usually, a temperature of at least 65°F is recommended. - Putting weight on fixtures.
Hanging anything heavier than a sponge from your shower head or kitchen faucet is generally a very bad idea, as it will cause stress on the fixture and might ultimately result in leaking.
As you can see, none of these things are difficult to avoid. Being just slightly more careful with your plumbing will basically eliminate 95% of repair issues plumbers are called for.
