Plumbing maintenance routines are great when it comes to ensuring that your plumbing works perfectly. But sometimes, even the best of intentions can lead to more problems. In a bid to perform routine cleaning and maintenance tasks on their plumbing, most homeowners usually end up turning a bad plumbing dream into a horrible nightmare. The following are things that you should keep in mind if you want to avoid worsening your plumbing problems.

Keeping your pipes clean is good, overdoing it is not.

Most homeowners use industrial strength cleaners to get rid of plumbing residue build-up. These cleaners are effective. But only to a certain extent. This is because the strength that makes these cleaners effective at breaking down solid wastes also makes them harmful to pipes. What this means is that, with each use of these harsh chemicals, the walls of your pipes will get eroded - something that will eventually lead to leaking pipes.

For better and safer cleaning, opt for a natural cleaning agent. Try using baking soda and vinegar instead of opting for harsh industrial-grade cleaners. And in case of clogs in your plumbing, try using a pipe snake first before resorting to the use of commercial drain cleaners.

You don't really have to totally swear off industrial cleaners. All you need to do is to minimize their use when it comes to cleaning your drains. This is something that alternating between natural cleaners and the industrial-strength drain cleaners will help you to accomplish.

When it comes to pipes, it's not just about size.

If you see a leaking pipe, the replace-it instinct will naturally kick in. The idea that comes to mind is to simply find a matching pipe, size-wise, and then to replace leaking pipe. But this is sometimes a mistake.

When it comes to plumbing pipes, one has to take into consideration the type of materials that they are made of. You can find two pipes that perfectly fit together, but if the pipes are made of different materials, you can end up with a plumbing disaster.

Why? Because when some materials come together, they react. This usually causes corrosion, something that might leave you with a costly plumbing mess.  A good example of pipes that do not have a good chemistry is copper pipes and pipes made from galvanized metal.

Therefore, if you are not sure of the pipe-chemistry at play, it is always safer and less costly to call a company like Rakeman Plumbing.