In the world of home maintenance, there are always a lot of urban legends that “everyone says so.” These myths have become deeply rooted in people's hearts through word of mouth, online communities, and even the deliberate guidance of some unscrupulous industry players. Wrong ideas often spread faster and more widely than correct knowledge. They also cause many people to use the wrong methods, spend money to eliminate disasters, and even make their houses worse.
Today, we are going to engage in a "rumor-refuting battle" to debunk the five myths that are the most ridiculous in the eyes of plumbers, but are firmly believed by homeowners.
Myth 1: If something is not broken, there is no need to maintain it
"Master, my air conditioner is leaking again. I just filled it with refrigerant last year!"
This is a true portrayal of many people's homes. Many people's concept of home appliances is "see a doctor when you are sick", that is, "don't touch it if it's not broken." But this concept is the biggest maintenance misunderstanding in modern residences.
Truth: From a mechanical and motor perspective, any equipment will age and wear out over time. When the air conditioner is not cold, it is often not because there is no refrigerant, but because of "poor heat dissipation" or "the filter is clogged." If cleaned and maintained every year, the air conditioner will be more efficient, save energy, and have a longer lifespan. On the contrary, if you wait until it is completely cold before calling someone to repair it, the compressor will often be overloaded and damaged, and a minor illness will turn into a serious one. In the same way, the magnesium rod of the electric water heater needs to be replaced regularly to avoid scale accumulation, and the pressure barrel of the water pumping motor needs to be checked regularly. These are the concepts of "preventive maintenance" and can help you save a lot of repair and even replacement costs.
Myth 2: To save electricity, just turn off the lights
Since childhood, our parents have taught us that we should turn off the lights when we leave the room to save electricity. But this iron law actually needs to be re-examined today in the 21st century.
However, most modern households have switched to energy-saving light bulbs (CFL) or LED light bulbs. The "inrush current" of these lamps when they are turned on is actually higher than when they are operating stably. Frequent switching will accelerate the aging of the electronic components inside the lamps and shorten their service life. Although LED bulbs have a long life, the driver is a consumable material. The correct power-saving logic is: if you are away for a short time (such as going to the toilet, going to the balcony to collect clothes), leaving the lights on may save money and protect the lamps better than turning them on and off.
Myth 3: The water pipe is clogged, just pour hot water down it to clear it
The water flow in the kitchen sink has slowed down. Is there grease stuck again? Many people's instinctive reaction is to boil a pot of boiling hot water and pour it down the drain hole, thinking that the hot water can dissolve the oil stains.
Truth: This method is effective in the short term, but in the long term, it may be the culprit that causes your home’s water pipes to die prematurely. Most of today's residential drainage pipes are PVC plastic pipes. Although PVC pipes have a certain heat resistance, long-term repeated high-temperature erosion will cause the glue joints of water pipe joints to age and become brittle, leading to future water leaks. What's worse is that hot water can only dissolve "oil", but if it is hair, soap scum, or kitchen residue, hot water is of no use at all. The correct approach is to use physical unblocking (toilet suction cups, hand-operated pipe strips), or use targeted "enzyme" cleaners, which use biological enzymes to decompose organic matter on the pipe wall, which is gentle and effective on the pipeline.
Myth 4: Putting cleaning tablets in the toilet tank is easy and fragrant
In order to keep the toilet smelling fresh, many people like to throw a blue "self-cleaning tablet" into the toilet tank. The water turns blue every time I flush it, and I feel so clean and at ease.
The Truth: I’m sorry, but this is probably the cruelest thing you’ve ever done to a toilet. There are many rubber parts in the water tank, such as "water stopper" (water inlet) and "drainage rubber valve". These cleaning tablets contain chemicals such as bleach and surfactants. Long-term soaking will corrode the rubber, causing it to harden and lose elasticity, eventually leading to water leakage. You may find that the water tank is not in use, but you keep hearing a slight sound of running water. This is a sign that the rubber valve is corroded and deformed and cannot seal tightly. If you want to deodorize, you can choose a "hanging cleaner" that hangs on the inner rim of the toilet, or clean the toilet itself directly. Don't lose parts of the entire toilet tank just to save a little money.
Myth 5: The more socket holes, the safer the electricity consumption.
In order to cope with the increasing number of 3C products at home, many people will buy a "three-to-two" socket adapter, or a "power extension cord" that can be plugged in to turn one socket into six.
The Truth: This is one of the number one fire hazards! The socket in the wall (behind the socket panel) has its own fixed "amperage" (current capacity). The average socket in Taiwan is 15A. When you turn one socket into multiple sockets, it only "increases the convenience of use" and does not "increase the power supply capacity". If high-power electrical appliances (such as induction cooker + electric kettle + oven) are plugged into it at the same time, and the total current far exceeds 15A, the wires in the wall will start to get hot. If the fuseless switch in the old apartment does not trip immediately, it may cause the wire to catch fire. Remember, extension cords are a "stopgap measure," not a "capacity expansion solution." To truly add sockets safely, you must ask a plumber to pull a new circuit from the switchboard, which is the root cause.
Breaking myths and protecting your home with knowledge
Some of these long-standing myths come from the life wisdom of the elders, and some come from the advertising rhetoric of manufacturers. When we face water and electricity problems at home, instead of relying on our feelings and listening to rumors, we should spend an extra five minutes to check professional information online or ask a reputable professional.
After all, the house is the warmest fortress of a family. Maintain it with the correct knowledge, so that it can return you every day in the most comfortable and safe state.
New knowledge on air-conditioning power consumption and Taiwan climate maintenance regulations in recent years (2025-2026 current situation)
With the high temperatures in summer breaking historical records and the adjustment of electricity price structure in recent years, the latest statistics from the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs show that air-conditioning equipment accounts for more than 47% of residential electricity consumption in summer. Many people mistakenly believe that if the air conditioner is not cold, they only need to "replenish the refrigerant." However, in fact, refrigerant is not naturally consumed during normal operation in a closed circuit. If the refrigerant is insufficient, it means that there are micro leaks in the copper pipes or joints. Simply replenishing the air conditioner will only treat the symptoms but not the root cause. Refrigerant leakage will aggravate the high temperature overload of the compressor and shorten its service life.
According to Taiwan's standard operating specifications for air-conditioning projects, it is recommended that professional technicians with a refrigeration and air-conditioning decoration technician license perform "full machine high-pressure water washing and evaporator deep sterilization" every 1 to 2 years for detached air-conditioning indoor units. Especially in the humid summer in the Shuangbei Basin, the air drum and water collection tray are easy to breed black mold and jelly-like biofilm. This is also the main reason for the sour smell in the air-conditioning outlet and the backflow of the drainage pipe. Regular maintenance can maintain CSPF (Air Conditioning Seasonal Performance Factor) level one energy efficiency level, which can save an average household 15% to 20% of air conditioning electricity bills every year.
Autonomous simple maintenance vs professional maintenance safety red line
- Homeowners can do by themselves: Remove and clean the nylon filter regularly every 2 to 3 weeks (rinse with clean water and dry in a cool place, do not expose it to the sun to avoid deformation and embrittlement); clean the air outlet blades of the indoor unit with a dry cloth; check whether there is any accumulation of debris within 50 cm around the outdoor unit that hinders heat dissipation.
- Professional technicians must be entrusted according to regulations: Refrigerant pressure testing and leakage repair welding, high-pressure cleaning of indoor unit air drums and aluminum fins with liquid chemicals, reset of the drainage slope of hidden cold water pipes in the ceiling, and 220V dedicated power circuit configuration and leakage circuit breaker replacement.
