Thos. R. Birnie & Sons Ltd. provides professional plumbing services in Toronto and the GTA. To learn more, visit their website http://www.5stinky.com.

1. 5 THINGS PEOPLE DO THAT
RUIN THEIR HOME'S
PLUMBING

2. Introduction
• Your home’s plumbing system is one of life’s little
necessities. If you’ve doubted how much you really use
your home’s fresh water and sewer lines, just try going
one afternoon without water.
• It’s important to keep your pipes in top condition, and that
means learning about those surprising things that can ruin
the pipes in your home.
• Here’s a list of actions to avoid if you want to prevent
calling a plumber and going without water for an
afternoon.

3. Sending Grease Down the Kitchen
Drain
• It’s so tempting to send grease down the kitchen sink. It
seems harmless to let that grease go down the drain and
say good-bye to it.
• The problem is that grease will not mix with water, and it
will stick to the interior of your pipe at some point down
the line.
• Over time, it can lead to a serious clog and a visit from the
professionals to unclog it.

4. Tossing Trash in the Toilet
• It’s amazing what can be flushed down the toilet, but only
biodegradable items should be flushed.
• If it’s not made specifically to go in the commode, take
two seconds and put it in the trash can.
• Keep in mind that all the drain lines in your house
eventually lead to one drain pipe, and if you clog that then
your entire house is going to be without water while you
wait to have it fixed.

5. Generous Use of Drain Cleaners
• Drain cleaners don’t just dissolve hair and other clogs.
Used in copious amounts, drain cleaners can actually
start corroding your pipes and eventually lead to leaks.
• When using any drain cleaner, make sure that it is made
for your specific plumbing materials, and use it only in the
quantity recommended.
• Ideally, chemicals should be avoided completely with
plungers and wire snakes being the tools of choice to
safely clear clogs.

6. Leaving the Hose Connected in Winter
• Winter arrives with freezing temperatures that can blow
supply lines apart. Unfortunately, people often forget to
disconnect their hoses in the winter.
• It’s important to shut down the water heading out to the
faucet and take the hose completely off to avoid freezing
of the faucet or the line itself.

7. Hanging a Picture
• Something as simple as hanging a picture can lead to a
leak if you tap one of the pipes in your walls.
• Builders are supposed to leave a certain amount of space
between the walls and pipes, but it’s still possible to hit
them if you are using very long screws.

8. Hanging a Picture
• If you’re lucky, you’ll hear the water hitting the drywall and
realize what has happened. If not, you’ll have serious
water damage and high bills as the leak goes unchecked.
• When moving into a new house, get a copy of the
blueprints and look for areas where pipes are hidden in
the walls.
• If this isn’t an option, then use a stud finder to ensure that
you are always screwing into studs, or use small picture
hangars that won’t go beyond the sheetrock to damage
any hidden pipes.

9. Conclusion
• These five mistakes are things that many homeowners
are guilty of.
• They’re little bad habits that seem harmless, and you may
have gotten away with them hundreds of times before.
• However, it only has to go wrong once for you to be left
calling a plumber and hoping the bill's not too high.
Protect your home’s plumbing and avoid costly repairs by
changing these habits now.

10. Conclusion
• These five mistakes are things that many homeowners
are guilty of.
• They’re little bad habits that seem harmless, and you may
have gotten away with them hundreds of times before.
• However, it only has to go wrong once for you to be left
calling a plumber and hoping the bill's not too high.
Protect your home’s plumbing and avoid costly repairs by
changing these habits now.