![\"plumbing,](\"http:\/\/plumbco.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Myths-and-Facts.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Who knows where the notion starts? A rumor, a \u201che said so,\u201d or a \u201cthat\u2019s what she said,\u201d can quickly turn a plumbing misconception into plumbing truth. Here are some of our favorite plumbing myths and their actual truths.<\/p>\n
Myth: Ice cubes sharpen garbage disposal blades.<\/strong><\/p>\n Truth: No they don\u2019t, but they will clean the blades, and it\u2019s recommended to do so if your sink starts to smell. \u201cEggshells also work for cleaning the disposal,\u201d Showalter says. \u201cIf you\u2019re cracking a lot of eggs for breakfast, shove the shells down the disposal. They\u2019re abrasive, but break up easily.\u201d<\/p>\n Myth: Put a brick in the back of your toilet tank to save water.<\/strong><\/p>\n Truth: Bricks will deteriorate over time and cause other things (like the flapper) to break. The intent can also backfire, and you displace too much water, having to flush twice.<\/p>\n Myth: Drop lemon peels down the disposal to make it smell good.<\/strong><\/p>\n Truth: Yes, it will smell nice, but the peels can clog the drain. \u201cMake sure you have a powerful enough disposal to cut through the peel,\u201d Lutz says. Unless you know for sure, don\u2019t do this. You can, however, pour some white vinegar in to freshen up your disposal.<\/p>\n Myth: Flushable wipes are A-OK!<\/strong><\/p>\n Truth: They don\u2019t biodegrade like toilet paper, and are causing a lot of problems. \u201cWe go on countless service calls to unstop whole houses with \u2018flushable\u2019 wipes piled up and clogging the lines,\u201d says David Butler, owner of highly rated Butler Plumbing in Rowlett, Texas. \u201cThe wipes will flush down a toilet, but so will a sock.\u201d<\/p>\n Myth: Toilet bowl tablets that contain bleach will keep the toilet clean.<\/strong><\/p>\n Truth: If the tablet contains bleach and is designed to sit in the tank, it will destroy the working parts of a toilet within six months, Butler says. Bleach in the bowl is fine, but don\u2019t let it linger in the tank for more than 10 minutes. Flush it through to prevent damage.<\/p>\n Myth: Water flushes counter clockwise in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.<\/strong><\/p>\n Truth: An idea based on the Coriolis effect, but it doesn\u2019t apply to such small bodies of water as found in a toilet, despite claims to the contrary by Owen Wilson\u2019s character in the movie \u201cWedding Crashers.\u201d The actual direction of the flush is determined by the design of the toilet itself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Who knows where the notion starts? A rumor, a \u201che said so,\u201d or a \u201cthat\u2019s what she said,\u201d can quickly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[873,945,946,951,953],"tags":[881,900,962,874],"class_list":["post-21565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plumbing","category-plumbing-troubleshooting","category-commercial-plumnbing","category-home-plumbing-repair","category-home-upkeep","tag-plumbing-emergency","tag-plumbing-repair","tag-24-hour-plumber","tag-plumbing-2"],"yoast_head":"\n