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Do you ever wonder how your plumbing works, or how it was invented? We’ve answered some of the most common plumbing questions in this blog post, so keep reading to learn more!
How did plumbing get its name?
The word “plumbing” is derived for the Latin word for lead, “plumbum.” This is because many Roman plumbing features and fixtures, including aqueducts, bathhouses, and pipes, were made with lead or lead plated materials. The Romans obviously did not know about the harm that lead could cause people. However, Romans rarely faced lead poisoning as a result of their water because it was so high in minerals that the scale would cover the interior of the pipes creating a barrier between the lead and the water.
What is hard water?
Hard water is a type of water that has a high content of minerals, including calcium and magnesium. It forms as water trickles through deposits of limestone which are primarily made up of calcium and magnesium. This leads many people to believe that hard water only occurs in homes that rely on wells, but hard water can be present in city water as well. The best way to combat hard water is by installing a water softener in your home.
Are wipes flushable?
No. The only items that should be flushed down your toilet are toilet paper and human waste. Even though some brand of wipes brand themselves as “flushable,” this is a myth. Flushing them down your toilet will eventually lead to a nasty clog that you will struggle to break through without a professional.
Other items that you should keep out of your toilet include:
Q-tips
Cotton pads or cotton balls
Floss
Can I put anything in my garbage disposal?
There are quite a few items that we would not recommend putting down your garbage disposal. Many of these items can either not be ground up or have the tendency to clog your drains immediately or given enough time. Some of these items include:
Fats, oils, grease
Egg shells, onion skins, celery stalks
Coffee grounds
Potato peels
Is a faucet leak a big deal?
While it might seem like a minor issue at the moment, faucet leaks can add up to massive costs down the line. If your faucet drips once per second, every second of every day then you would waste 5 gallons of water every day and over 2,000 gallons of water every year.
This is a massive waste of water and your money, so it’s always in your best interest to get leaks fixed right away.
How do I make my plumbing more efficient?
The best way to improve your plumbing efficiency is by installing new low flow plumbing fixtures or by attaching aerators to your sink faucets and showerheads. Make sure that they are WaterSense certified so that you know you’re saving as much water and money as possible.
WaterSense products can reduce your sinks water flow by more than 30 percent taking its water flow from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute. Additionally, if you switch from a traditional toilet to a low flush toilet, you could save more than 5 gallons of water with every flush of your toilet!
For all of your plumbing questions whether they’re related to your commercial building or your home, the experts at The Plumbing Authority are here to help you! We are a family owned business with extensive experience in remodeling and new construction jobs.
Our employees are the best of the best and take every job seriously, which we make very clear to all of our customers. We are confident that our work and our service will leave you more satisfied than you could have expected.