Let’s play a game!
We’ll tell you some of the things we’ve heard people say about plumbing, and you tell us if the claim is true or false. Do you know if bleach tablets are good for keeping your toilet clean? What about Drano? Are plumbers considered healthcare workers? We’ll explore these common beliefs about plumbing together!
CLAIM: “Water heaters run out of water in the tank when the water gets cold.”
When you’ve got the dishwasher running and you’re taking a hot shower, your hot water probably runs out pretty quick. Have you or your spouse ever said, “the water heater needs to fill back up?” Actually, your water heater needs to heat up. When your shower starts running cold, your water heater still has water in it, but not hot water. It’s trying to heat up the cold water inside the reservoir just like a pot on a stove.
The claim is FALSE.
CLAIM: A small leak isn’t a big deal.
Does your toilet run sometimes? Do you try to ignore the occasional drip of your faucet? “It’s not worth calling a plumber out,” you might think. As minor as some plumbing problems seem, they can contribute massively to your water bill! It might even double or triple it without you realizing until it’s too late! Not only that, but plumbing problems don’t usually just resolve themselves. Instead, they get worse over time, which means a bigger mess, a bigger bill, and overall a bigger problem.
The claim is FALSE.
CLAIM: Plumbers are considered healthcare workers.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be a plumber? Sure, they unclog drains and fix leaky pipes, but have you ever wondered what we would do without them? Indoor plumbing is one of the most incredible inventions in the world! It allows us to flush away toxic waste, wash our hands, and keep our families clean and safe. Without plumbers, we’d be exposed to dangerous germs! According to the World Health Organization (WHO), plumbers have done more with clean water and sewage disposal than vaccines have, and because of that, they’re officially considered healthcare workers!
Did you know: More than 2 million people in the US don’t have access to running water.
The claim is TRUE.
CLAIM: Anyone can fix your plumbing.
Sure, you could unclog your own toilet. You could call your neighbor to stop that leaky sink. You could Google some DIY solutions. But who’s to say the problem won’t come back?
Think about the last time you caught a cold. Your nose was runny, and your throat hurt. Maybe you took cold medicine because it made you feel better. That cold medicine didn’t cure your cold though, it just relieved the symptoms for a while. That’s how your plumbing works! That leaky pipe is likely just a symptom of a bigger problem, and without calling a professional, the true problem won’t get fixed.
The claim is mostly FALSE.
CLAIM: Bleach and chlorine tablets are good for keeping your toilets clean.
Bleach and chlorine are harsh chemicals, so of course they’re great at killing germs. Unfortunately, because they’re so harsh, they can also eat away at the plastic and rubber components of your toilets. These parts can wear down prematurely, and either you can spend the money to replace the individual components of your toilet or you can spend the money to replace your poor toilet that died too soon. Either way, we don’t recommend using bleach or chlorine tablets for your toilets.
The claim is FALSE.
CLAIM: Drano is safe for plumbing.
Drano is a lye-based cleaner, which means it’s extremely corrosive. It’s great at breaking down organic materials like hair and grease, but it wreaks havoc on your plumbing. Over time, it eats away at your pipes and can cause a lot of damage. Unless you want to shorten the life of your pipes, we recommend you stay far away from Drano.
The claim is FALSE.
CLAIM: You can find a cheap, high quality, and fast/efficient plumber.
You can’t find a plumber that’s cheap, high quality, and fast. This kind of thing applies to just about any business or product you use in life! Think about it. When you want beef, you have a decision to make: which restaurant do you go to? You can get beef from Steak and Shake. It’s fast and it’s cheap, but it’s not the highest quality meat. What about somewhere like Ruth’s Chris? It isn’t a cheap option, but the quality and presentation of the meat is much greater. But they’re both beef. It’s up to you to choose which kind you want!
You can find a cheap plumber. You can find a high-quality plumber. You can find
We get there the same day, and we do things right the first time!a fast and efficient plumber. The unfortunate truth is that finding a plumber to match all three of those criteria is about as likely as finding a unicorn. The truth of the matter is: you can only have two out of the three.
Most commonly, you’ll find a one-man operation. This individual plumber has a hard time running his/her business alone. Unfortunately, that means they have to be really quick during each call, and they can’t give your unit the attention it needs. You know the saying: “You get what you pay for.” These plumbers are fast and cheap, but they lack quality.
There are a lot of small mom and pop shops around Charlotte. These plumbers are usually fairly cheap, and they do a good job of fixing your plumbing, but they have such a small staff base that they often don’t have the capacity to rush to your rescue when plumbing emergency strikes.
The last type of plumber is the category Morris-Jenkins fits into! We have the largest team of plumbers in the area, so we’re always ready to help your family, whether it’s a dripping faucet or a gushing pipe. And we don’t cut corners! Our plumbers take the time they need to make sure everything is done the right way, not the easy way. When you call Morris-Jenkins, you’re choosing quality and efficiency so you can have the peace of mind to know your family is taken care of whenever you need us!
The claim is FALSE.
What Other Plumbing Beliefs Do You Have?
If you’re not a plumber, no one expects you to know these things, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t. That’s why these are common beliefs! In fact, you should feel good knowing you now know more about plumbing than the average person!
Maybe you used to think Drano, bleach tablets, and other chemicals were good for clearing those pesky clogs in your sink, toilet, bathtub, or shower. Don’t worry! We’ve got an even better solution! When you become a Priority Advantage® Member, we’ll come out and clear your clogged drains the safe way for free. Not only that, but you’ll get loads of other great benefits for your home’s HVAC and plumbing!
Are there other things you thought you knew about plumbing? Not sure if they’re true? Check out some of our other blog posts and keep checking back for the latest content!
Clogged drain? Cold showers? Leaky faucet? Let us know!