4 Household Plumbing Myths You Can Ignore

Schedule Now

Mostly hidden away out of sight, your household plumbing system is often a mystery, as well as a source of plumbing myths. Over time, these misconceptions get passed along until they’re accepted as proven truth. Sometimes, these fables are simply harmless folklore. Other times, however, they can actually make a plumbing issue substantially worse. Here are four common plumbing myths you can disregard, as well as the facts of the matter.

Dripping Faucets Are “Normal”

Faucets are designed and engineered to be completely drip-free. If you see even a small amount of dripping, it’s a malfunction, usually due to wear and tear. Dripping faucets can be repaired by a qualified plumber. There’s good reason to do so: one dripping faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year.

A Noisy Water Heater May Explode

Bubbling and popping sounds inside a water heater are usually a sign of mineral sediment in the tank—not an impending explosion (water heaters have a temperature and pressure relief valve to prevent such things). However, sediment accumulation can substantially shorten the service life of a water heater as well as increasing water heating costs. Ask a plumber to flush the tank and remove mineral sediment.

“Flushable” Wipes Are Really Flushable

Not really. Most plumbers can tell you how often they discover that flushable wipes are the cause of a sewer line blockage. A more reality-based rule of thumb is this: any paper product other than toilet paper should be considered non-flushable and disposed of elsewhere.

A Brick In The Toilet Tank Saves Water

While the brick reduces water volume per flush, it does so very inaccurately. For example, you may have to flush twice and actually waste more water. Also, bricks deteriorate in water and may inhibit tank valves or flushing mechanisms. For a more reliable way to reduce toilet water use, ask your plumber about an ultra-low flush toilet that uses 1.6 gallons per flush or a high-efficiency toilet that uses only 1.28 gallons.

Heard any good plumbing myths lately? Get the facts from the professionals at Apollo Home.

Schedule
Call
"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
    Read Reviews
    Image

    Financing

    Learn More
    Image

    Apollo Care Plan

    Learn More