30 secrets your plumber won’t tell you

They don’t tolerate bad plumbers, so you know they’ll send you to the best of the best.

Glowing reviews on a home service website doesn’t necessarily mean a tradesman is good.

These are the real signs you should look for before you sign on the dotted line.

Don’t flush floss, tampons, or even so-called “flushable” wipes.

They don’t break down like toilet paper does and can come back to haunt you later.

“Toilets are more water-efficient now than they were 20 years ago, so there sometimes isn’t enough volume in the flush to force debris down,” says Marcin Wroblewski, president of ExpressRooter Plumbing in Canada.

“An object will get lodged in the trap and cause blockage when waste builds up days later.”

Fixing a broken loo is not one of those jobs that can be put off.

But before you call in the cavalry, bail out the excess water and try a couple of DIY fixes.

I’d replace those flimsy rubber hoses with stainless steel ones.

A bulging washing machine hose is an emergency. It may burst next year, next week or right now.

Take a look at these other telltale signs of disrepair.

“Don’t pour fat down the drain. Wipe your pan with paper towels and compost them,” Wroblewski advises.

Grease can become rock-hard and may require professional removal.

Need to unblock a U-bend in a hurry? Here’s how.

Some allege that putting a brick in the toilet tank can save water, but doing that can keep your toilet from flushing correctly.

Another plumbing tip, avoid liquid drain cleaners. Liquid drain cleaners are also bad news – they eat away at the pipes.

Try a plunger or, better yet, a $30 auger.

Loo maintenance isn’t high on anyone’s list of favourite chores, but it’s essential to keep everything in working order.

Follow these tips to avoid overflows, wasted water and flushing failure.

Buying a home? Have a plumber scope your underground drain system with a camera to check for roots, collapses and other problems that typically aren’t visible to home inspectors.

“Spending $300 on an investigation could save you tens of thousands later in insurance claims for flood cleanup, excavation, and pipe replacements,” Wroblewski says.

Decided to buy and then upgrade? Here’s how to do it without getting a divorce.

I can’t tell you how many calls I get from people screaming and crying that their house is flooding and they don’t know what to do.

You need to find out how to turn the water off at the mains.

Flooding outside is a different matter. You can solve any flooding problem outside by installing discreet drains in your garden.

If you’ve got a Rapunzel at home (or even a rapidly balding man), buy a drain strainer or a hair snare or tell her to use a paper towel to clear the drain.

Soap can gum up the pipes, too, so use as little of that as you can.

When the bathroom drain gets blocked, avoid paying a plumber hundreds of dollars to remove a simple hair plug by trying these tricks first.

Using corrosive chemicals to dissolve a clog is like throwing a grenade down a gopher hole.

Instead, Wroblewski recommends flushing your drains weekly with a half cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar.

Let it fizz in the drain for ten minutes, then pour in four cups of boiling water.

Products used to clean furniture, carpets, and appliances are full of toxic chemicals that are known carcinogens.

Try these alternative cleaning solutions to keep your home chemical-free!

Pay me by the job, not by the hour.

This is one of the most important plumbing tips you can remember.