A frequent problem are clogged drains while owning a home. So it is very easy and tempting to run out and pick up some store bought liquid drain cleaner from the local store. This solution helps satisfy our desire to have things solved instantly such as warming things up in a microwave, but this type of solution regarding liquid drain cleaner shouldn't be considered as the best quality solution.
In an article by Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, they go further in explaining why homeowners need to think more about purchasing liquid drain cleaners:
Think Twice Before Using Liquid Drain Cleaners
When you discover a drain that is slow or clogged, calling a plumber might not be your first reaction. After all, using a bottle of commercial liquid drain cleaner is cheaper and requires minimal effort, so why call for professional help? See more here...
As you can see from the above article, we should try other methods before throwing various chemicals down the drain which may negatively affect the pipes, people, and/or the environment. Now in the next article, Brooks Plumbing Company describes more on how store-bought drain cleaners present more terrible side effects:
THE PROBLEM WITH STORE-BOUGHT DRAIN CLEANER
When your sink or bathtub has a clog, what’s your first instinct? If you are like the average homeowner, it’s likely to go get some store-bought chemical cleaner to use as a tool to eliminate the blockage. Products such as this are extremely popular, and correctly advertised as a “quick and inexpensive” way to relieve your clogged sink, shower, or bathtub.
Even more evidence that Liquid Drain Cleaners aren't always the answer while also being a big problem with the environment... one can just look at the following YouTube video. A Drano challenge fail.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday of family, food, and giving thanks to God. Unfortunately, we all have to experience the aftermath of the usual plentiful food leftovers.
With so many leftovers, many people choose to get rid of them either by giving them to family members or other creative ways. One of those creative ways includes over-working the garbage disposal.
In the following article by Paul Abrams, he explains why it may be the day after Thanksgiving and not Thanksgiving that keeps plumbers busy.
Why is Thanksgiving the Cause of so Many Plumbing & Drain Problems?
It happens like clockwork every year, the week of Thanksgiving rolls around and the phone starts ringing at Roto-Rooter. Early in the week, a significant number of homeowners expecting guests have the foresight to call a plumber to deal with their slow drains because they can sense trouble waiting to happen. These are the wisest homeowners who’ve possibly experienced ill-timed sewer clogs in the past and don’t want to chance another clog when they have a house full of holiday guests. See Full Post Here...
Being aware of this issue is half the battle - so how to do we avert the Thanksgiving plumbing catastrophe? Both the Action 41 news video below and the subsequent Benjamin Franklin Plumbing article describe how there are proven steps on how to prevent any Thanksgiving major clogs from occurring.
How to Avoid Thanksgiving Day Plumbing Disasters
A Thanksgiving Tradition You Want to Avoid
The night before Thanksgiving, plumbers all across America make a point of getting a good night’s sleep. That’s because history has taught them that Thanksgiving day and the day after are typically the busiest days of their entire year, and they tend to spend most of their time on a single appliance: the garbage disposal.
When plate after plate of leftovers goes down the drain, garbage disposals can get clogged, jammed, entangled or paralyzed. But by adhering to a few simple rules and making a little time for maintenance, you can avoid the ritualistic Thanksgiving day emergency plumber call.
It is important to be mindful, as a homeowner, of what you're putting down the garbage disposal. It could cause issues with the disposal, water lines, or even the sewer system. So please take caution and be ready to adjust during the Holiday season! If you do find yourself in this situation, do not hesitate to contact your best plumbing professionals - Piedmont Plumbing Repair. Prevent A Terrible Thanksgiving Tradition was first seen on: Piedmont Plumbing Repair Service
They say that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. When something begins to go wrong with any mechanical object, machine or system, it is always better to fix the problem right away: if you leave it unattended, it will only get worse, eventually causing you real problems and great expense. This applies to everything from your car to your your washing machine. And it certainly applies to your plumbing. You can’t delay plumbing repairs – it will only end up costing you more money in the long run.
Let’s take a look at some common plumbing issues that can develop into major problems if not taken care of as soon as they begin.
Water Heaters:
A water heater has a limited life. A better one will last longer, but they all eventually wear out. If you hear a noise coming from your water, or if it starts leaking from the top, have it attended to immediately by a professional plumber. Ideally, you should flush out your water heater every year to prevent rusting and other problems. This will prevent your water from becoming discolored. If your water heater is leaking from the bottom, it will have to be replaced.
If you do not attend to a water heater as soon as a problem develops, at best you will then need to replace it, or it could explode and cause injury to people or water damage to your property.
Leaky Faucets:
A worn out washer is the principal cause of a leaky faucet. Washers are cheap to buy and easy to replace. If you don’t replace the washer, it will end up costing you money in increased water bills, and if you don’t replace it, it will eventually wear out completely and cause you increased expense. You can replace a washer yourself, or call a plumber to do it for you.
Shower Heads:
A leaky shower head is another place that will cost you money in increased water bills and will eventually cause you serious and expensive problems. Here’s a handy tip from one of our master plumbers: to keep your shower head free of blockages, take a plastic baggie, fill it with vinegar, and tie it around your shower head. Leave it overnight. This will unclog all the holes in your shower head and allow a better flow of water when you shower.
Drain Stoppages:
Drain stoppages are caused primarily by materials that should not have gone down the drain in the first place. In bathroom drains, this means hair and soap. In kitchen drains it means food scraps, peels of fruits and vegetables, and grease. In floor drains, it can mean leaves or paper or any other debris that was left on the floor when it was washed. The best way to prevent all drain blockages is to have a strainer of some sort over the mouth of the drain. These strainers should usually be screwed down, and they should be cleaned frequently or the strainer itself will become blocked up, preventing the flow of water into the drain.
Toilet Stoppages:
The most common causes of toilet stoppages are excess paper like paper towels, and also those wipes – which are not flushable – and feminine hygiene products.
Sometimes, throwing down a chemical solution like Drano, bleach or even Coca Cola can eat through the clog and wash it away. A plunger often works too, but make sure you have the right type – there are some plungers on the market that are totally useless on any serious clog. If the cause of the toilet stoppage is something like a child’s toy, a toothbrush, or similar physical object that has been put into the toilet, neither chemical solutions nor a plunger will do the trick.
In these cases you will have to use an auguring or cabling device, often called a “plumber’s snake”. You can buy a hand-powered cabling device at your favorite hardware store. Professional plumbers have electric-powered cabling devices which are far more effective. It’s your choice. But when a toilet gets stopped up, you have to have it attended to or you will soon have a serious problem on your hands.
Sewer Stoppages:
When all your sinks and toilets start backing up at the same time, it almost always means you have a stoppage in your main sewer line. This is a serious problem, will not fix itself, and if not attended to, it will cause dirty water to spill onto your floor, causing water damage and potential health problems for you and your family. Sewer line stoppages can be caused by buildup of excess paper – especially paper towels and other non-flushables which people have flushed down the toilet, or the sewer stoppage may be caused by invasive tree roots, which have managed to get into the sewer line through cracks, breaks or holes in your sewer.
Sewer line stoppages may sometimes be cleared by a powerful cabling device, but these devices sometimes only succeed in boring a small hole through the obstruction rather than clearing it completely. And if the stoppage is more than 100 feet into the line, most cabling devices will not be able to handle the problem.
The best way to completely clear a main line sewer stoppage is to call in a plumber who has a hydro-jet machine. These devices generate a powerful jet of water which literally blasts away any obstruction in the line. It also scours the insides of your pipes and cleans them.
Before hydro-jetting a line, most plumbers will first insert a video camera and take a look at the exact nature of the obstruction and also exactly where it is located. After he has cleared the line, the plumber will then again insert the camera to make sure the stoppage has been completely removed. Sometimes, more than one pass with the hydrojet is required to completely remove the most stubborn stoppages. And the video camera will also show you the condition of your pipes. If you notice damage or deterioration, the damaged part must be replaced or it’s going to cost you a fortune down the line when you have to replace your entire sewer line.
Hydro-jetting a line may cost you about $750.00: replacing your entire sewer line can cost you up to $50,000.
So as soon as you notice even the smallest problem with your plumbing, get the right tools and fix it yourself, or call a professional plumber and resolve the issue before it becomes a major health hazard, or causes injury or property damage, and becomes a major expense. To end with another old proverb: ”A stitch in time saves nine”.
Following a tornado impact in your area, there are several things that may break down in your house. Most people may concentrate on holes, roofing problems and broken glass; however, your plumbing system could also be at risk. If you are not familiar with the methods a tornado can trigger plumbing issues in your home, take a look at the items below.
Examine for functionality
When you have concluded that your home is fundamentally firm and you are prepared to test your plumbing, the first step is to make sure that everything’s working as designed. Walk throughout your home and cut on all the faucets, ensure that you can get water to flow through faucets and showerheads, and flush all the toilets.
As you evaluate each fixture, pay attention to how the water acts. Is the toilet draining slowly? Is the water pressure lower after the tornado? Do some of the water pipes make sounds when providing water to a specific room? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, it would be in your best interest to call a plumber to execute a more detailed test of your pipes.
Review plumbing equipment
The next task is to review any gear that is a piece of your plumbing system. This may involve pumps, water heaters, conditioning systems and any device linked to the plumbing.
The purpose all through this segment of the inspection has two parts. Your first item to look out for… is whether or not the tornado triggered a leak in any of the linked water pipes. After you have seen that there aren’t noticeable leaks, you need to ensure the gear itself is not cracked, bent or somehow damaged. As inspecting appliances go – Appliances like washers and dishwasher, running a test load to make sure that water flows and exits out of drains as designed.
A broken water heater which is not functioning at its greatest potential could be stealing energy away from your home and your very own piggy bank. However working to make easy changes, such as modifying your water heater’s temperature can fix this issue. Lowering your water temperature might also decrease your water heating bill by upwards of 5%. But before jumping on that, it’ll be to your advantage to have some tips. Here’s a short outline to checking your water heater temperature.
Modifying Electric Water Heater Temperature
Altering the water temperature on an electric heater is stress-free. These types of water heaters include temperature instruments on the unit. Change the thermostat by hand to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To avoid being shocked – if your thermostat is covered, ensure that you turn off the electricity first before creating the thermostat adjustment.
Plus several electric water heaters consist of 2 thermostats: one at the bottom and another at the top. Please make sure to change both thermostats.
Evaluating your Water Temperature
Evaluating your water heater temperature doesn’t involve expensive tools; a common kitchen thermometer will pull off the task. Cut on your water, and then allow the water to flow at the hottest configuration for a few minutes. Now carefully gather the hot water in a bucket to prepare it for testing. Utilize the cooking thermometer to evaluate the water directly after gathering it.
The best water temperature should be around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Any reading above 130 degrees Fahrenheit can really be dangerous, heading towards bacteria development, which can be hazardous to your health.
Modifying Oil Water Heater Temperature
If you are having problems with your oil water heater, the right thing to do is to contact a professional. Changing the temperature on these types of water heaters can be quite tricky, and inaccurate adjustments can result in burning yourself. A plumber can usually set up a mixing valve, which is a thermostat device that makes it simpler for someone to modify the temperature.
Modifying Gas Water Heater Temperature
Regarding gas water heaters, there is just one thermostat control, which resides at the bottom. The thermostat is usually a dial that is controlled by turning. Again, if the adjuster is under a cover, shut off the electricity before changing it.
Advantages of Contacting a Professional
If modifying your water heater temperature isn’t working, think about contacting a plumber. Plumbers can assist in determining if there’s a problem with your water heater that can be fixed, or if you’ll need to replace the unit.
Plumbers putty is a substance that is similar to clay. It’s used during the installation of sinks, drainpipes, and valves. Basically, the putty works to seal areas exposed to unpressurized water (such as water standing in a sink), therefore preventing leaks. One of the biggest advantages of plumber’s putty is that it will create a water-tight seal, making it great for situations where 100% waterproof sealing is warranted. Here’s a closer look at what plumber’s putty is…
Plumber’s putty’s clay-like make-up helps make it easy to mold and fun to work with. Standard clay is the main element in plumber’s putty, however different manufacturing companies use a variety of components to construct their products uniquely. Some of the primary additives in the creation of plumber’s putty include talc, fish oil blends, linseed oil, and limestone.
As you can probably tell from the list of ingredients – Plumber’s putty wouldn’t be toxic unless secondary ingredients get in the way. So be careful which Plumber’s putty product you buy! That being said – Plumber’s putty shouldn’t be used as a children’s toy. Some types may include petroleum products.
Plumber’s putty may only be used to prevent or stop leaks in specific areas. It shouldn’t be used interchangeably with other products such as caulk or tape. Before you attempt to repair a leak, determine whether plumber’s putty is the correct tool for the task.
Due to its oil content it is best used on formica counter-tops. Plumber’s putty should be avoided when working with granite and marble since it may stain those types of surfaces. If you do have a granite or marble countertop, you should try to utilize a water-based silicone sealant.
Plumber’s putty has it’s primary purpose as to create a secure seal between a faucet and a kitchen counter-top.
Additionally, it may bе leveraged tо seal self-rimming stainless-steel kitchen sinks related to countertops. Apply thе putty оn thе sink edge, аnd place іt іn thе space made tо fit thе sink. Apply pressure as you tighten the clips on the sink and when the surplus putty pops out, just remove it with a non-metallic putty knife.
Just like setting sinks, I use putty to set sink drains, tub drains, faucets and even use it on the bolts that secure a toilet tank to a bowl.
So again, putty shouldn’t be the first and only option when fixing a leak. Remember to shut off your water first and to look at using caulk or tape to seal it, plus calling a professional plumber to ensure work is a permanent solution!
