Plumbing Tips for Parents

Moms and dads have a lot to think about, especially at this time of year. Back to school has begun and new routines are in place after the chaos of summer, and before you know it, the holiday season will be upon us. The last thing you have on your mind is in plumbing tips, but, there are unique situations for parents and we thought we’d address those. And, because being a parent is hard work, we thought we’d make them extra fun so you can have a good laugh.

All Drains Don’t Lead To The Ocean

The first among plumbing tips is despite what Finding Dory (or Nemo) has taught us, all drains don’t lead to the ocean. But, that doesn’t stop kids from flushing everything they want to “set free”. When a toy is flushed, it often doesn’t even make it to the main city sewer. Instead, it gets stuck in the toilet itself or the stub. This requires, in most cases, water to be shut off and the toilet to be removed so the toy can be fished out from wherever it is jammed.

In one odd case, a sewer camera was needed to discover a toy car wedged into a sewer line T, causing major back-ups- so don’t think a flushed toy is “no harm done”. It’s best to retrieve what you can and prevent it from happening again, or better yet, in the first place. For youngsters who haven’t yet learned that the toilet doesn’t require a sacrifice, install a toilet lock.

Watch The Toilet Paper

The 2nd famous one among dozens of plumbing tips is when it comes to kids, they seem to fall into one of two toilet paper camps: no toilet paper or too much toilet paper. Neither are pleasant but for different reasons. We’ll let you deal with stinky underwear your way, but as far as too much toilet paper, show your kiddos how much is enough. You’ll know they use too much when you have regular issues with the toilet not flushing fully, or habitual use of a plunger.

Always have a plunger in the bathroom, and consider using non-plush style toilet paper to help reduce clogs.

Tame Your Teens

We know, that if your teen listened to you ever, life would be better. However, we have another area of nagging to add to your list, which may finally earn you the Most Annoying Parent Award.

Let’s address daughters first: you shouldn’t flush tampons. Not just the applicators, but the cotton component as well. Used feminine products are not one of the most exciting topics, but here’s a script to make it easy: “Place the tampons and pads inside tissue or toilet paper and dispose in the trash bin. If not, I will have the plumber, who comes to clear the sewer line full of tampons, present you with the bill. Capeesh?”

Now, the sons: Designers develop shower curtains strictly to keep water off the other parts of the bathroom. When water gets out of the tub, it creates water damage. Stop it. If you get water on the floor, wipe it up, and while you are down there, wipe up the pee from around the toilet. Yes, seriously. And, if you are finding excess water and don’t know where it is coming from, you may have a leak, and that too causes water damage and should fix it as soon as possible.

As always, if you have any issues with your plumbing and Denver Plumber and HVAC can help, don’t hesitate to give us a call! We hope we made you smile today! Find us on Google Maps