Preventing Kitchen Plumbing Clogs During the Holidays

January 26th, 2016 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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With the winter holidays quickly approaching, now is a good time to revisit housekeeping tips to keep your kitchen plumbing free of clogs. After all, much of the holiday festivities begin and end in the kitchen. Nothing can ruin a holiday gathering quicker than a plumbing emergency so beware of what is going down the drain this holiday season by adhering to these tips.

  • Fatty foods. Holiday meals are seldom light on fat, with gravy, greasy goodies and lard-laden pies. Make sure you are not letting those fatty foods go down the drain. Rinse plates and pans in a container and dispose of the water outside to avoid the leftover grease from going down the drain.
  • Fiber foods. Your garage disposal can grind almost any food but some items should be kept out of the disposal and drain. Eggs shells, vegetable peels and any hard-fibrous foods should be put in the compost, not down the drain.
  • Be careful of chemical cleansers. Getting your home ready for the holidays means heavy-duty cleaning. Be careful of dumping harsh cleansers down the drains, especially if you have metal plumbing. Many chemicals used in cleaning solutions can corrode pipes and plumbing fixtures that are steel, cast-iron or brass, leading to expensive plumbing repairs. Even those quick-fix drain clog removers can be harmful for your pipes.

Don’t let your holidays be dampened with a nasty clog in your kitchen pipes. Make sure everyone in your family is following these tips to prevent plumbing clogs. However, if you do end up with a back-up, call your local plumber that offers emergency repairs remove that clog fast.

Posted on behalf of:
Bynum & Sons Plumbing, Inc.
2120 McDaniels Bridge Rd SW
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 736-8283

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When to Call a Plumber for a Clogged Drain

May 5th, 2015 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Clogged drains are a normal occurrence in most homes. In the bathroom, the sink, shower and tub drains are commonly clogged with a combination of hair and soap residue that can slowly plug up the drain pipe. In the kitchen, food is the culprit, especially fats and grease that cling inside the pipe and trapped large food particles to fill the drain line. Many of these clogs can be removed or cleaned without professional help, but when should you call a plumber for a clogged drain?

Reoccurring Clogs

Are you constantly removing a clog, just to have it reappear in a week or two down the road? You may be only removing the top of the clog and leaving the majority of the problem in the pipe. Try using a snake or auger to clear out the entire clog. If it still comes back, call in a plumber to clear out your drain for good.

Multiple Slow Drains

If you have several drains that are slow, it is most likely a major pipe that is clogged, even a sewer pipe. This is not something you can usually fix with a plunger or auger. You may have a broken sewer line, or a sewer pipe that is clogged under the ground outside your home. A plumber with sewer line experience should be called to find and fix the problem

Foul Odors

Is there a foul odor coming out of your clogged drains? There could be some sort of sewer backup occurring. Whether you are on a city sewer or septic system, you should have a plumber come inspect your pipes and get to the root of the issue.

Most clogs can be removed with a handy plunger and a little elbow grease. However, for those bigger clogged drain problems, call in a plumber for professional assistance.

Posted on behalf of:
Bynum & Sons Plumbing, Inc.
2120 McDaniels Bridge Rd SW
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 736-8283

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Thanksgiving Weekend Was a Busy Time for Plumbers

December 5th, 2014 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year for plumbers? In homes all across the country, “Black Friday” took on a new meaning as drains became backed up and toilets overflowed, ending up a call to a local plumber to come fix the problem. It is no mystery why this happens every year. The plumbing fixtures can only take so much food and waste before they become clogged and cause a holiday mess.

Avoiding Holiday Plumbing Problems

What is true during the rest of the year is even more important during big holiday meals and gatherings: watch what you put down the drain! Potato peelings, gravy, turkey drippings and a host of other holiday foods are common culprits which clog many homes after the Thanksgiving meal. With more holidays on the way, now is a good time to review what should not go down your kitchen sink.

  • Peelings and tough vegetables. Even with a garbage disposal, peeling and other parts of many vegetables are too fibrous to put down the drain. Throw away or compost peelings, along with leftover vegetables, to avoid clogs.
  • Grease and fat. Do not rinse the turkey or gravy pan in the sink. The grease from these will congeal in the pipes, collecting debris until they form a clog. Scrape out pans into the garbage before rinsing.
  • Leftovers. Get in the habit of scraping and wiping off all plates into the garbage or compost container before washing them. Even a little bit of food on each plate can add up to a bunch of debris going down the drain when you have several guests.

Just remember that your plumbing can and will get clogged if too much food goes down the drain. However, even the most careful holiday host can still end up with a clogged sink after a big holiday meal. Make sure to have your favorite plumber on speed dial, just in case!

Posted on behalf of:
Bynum & Sons Plumbing, Inc.
2120 McDaniels Bridge Rd SW
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 736-8283

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Preventing Bathroom Drain Clogs

August 30th, 2014 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Bathroom drains seem to be the most prone to clogs, from the toilet to the shower. Bathrooms are one of the most used rooms in any house, which means that plumbing fixtures get their fair share of use, too. While some clogged drains cannot be prevented, there are ways to reduce the chance of encountering a clogged drain in your bathroom.

Bathroom Sink

From sticky toothpaste and shaving cream to the leftover hair trimmings after a shave, the bathroom sink is often the most common victim when it comes to a bathroom drain clog. Having a drain cover which can catch any longer hairs and debris is one way to reduce the amount of clogs. Since even stubble is still hair, it can gum up your drains. Try shaving over a container and throwing away this hair instead of washing it down the drain every day.

Toilets

A clogged toilet is something that no one wants to deal with, especially if it overflows. While some clogs cannot be prevented, there are items that do not need to be flushed. Excess toilet paper and feminine hygiene items can clog up a toilet on their own, or make an existing situation worse. Try throwing away any items which do not need to be flushed, or flushing twice for larger tasks.

Shower

The main culprit behind clogs in the shower or bathtub drain is hair. Each person loses about 100 hairs a day, many of them in the shower. Hair combined with oils, grease, soap and other products can easily clog up drains. The best way to prevent these common clogs is to use a properly fitted drain cover to catch the hair, then physically remove it after each use.

Even with prevention methods, bathroom clogs can and will occur. When you have a tough clog, call your local plumber to get it completely removed by a professional.

Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing Septic and Sewer

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Three Items That Should Never Go Down The Drain

August 30th, 2014 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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It’s easy to pour all kinds of liquids and even some solids into your sink without thinking twice. This especially holds true if you have a garbage disposal, as it’s so convenient to just scrape plates and pans into the drain, then flip the switch. However, although it may work some of the time, putting the wrong items down your drain could be doing major damage to your plumbing. Here are three items to never put down the drain or in your garbage disposal.

  1. Grease or oil. Any fatty substance will cause a problem in your plumbing. Grease and oil may go down easily when they are in liquid form, but they tend to cool and coat the inside of your pipes and garbage disposal. Over times, this gooey substance will collect debris and create a clog or jam up your disposal. Keep all grease, oil and other fatty materials out of the drain.
  2. Produce. While a soft banana or pea can easily be chopped up in a garbage disposal, their shells or peels cannot. Keep fruit and vegetable peels out of your disposal, along with any hard produce such as carrots or other root vegetables.
  3. Harsh cleaners. Any strong chemical can erode plumbing pipes, gaskets and other plumbing fixtures. Don’t put any harsh chemicals down your drains, including the chemical clog removers marketed as being designed for plumbing. These cleaners can do expensive harm to your plumbing on their own, plus can have chemical reactions with one another, causing more harm than good in the long run. For severely clogged drains and small problems alike, call in your local plumber to safely remove the clog and protect your plumbing.

Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing Septic and Sewer

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Professional Tools For Removing Drain Clogs

July 10th, 2014 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing problems any household can have. Grease, hair, food and other items can build up in your pipes, causing a slow draining sink or a clogged toilet. Often, homeowners will try to handle clogs on their own by buying commercially available liquid drain cleaner. Though these may work in some cases, they can also be harmful to your plumbing fixtures or only temporarily fix the issue. It’s always better to call in a professional plumber who has the right tools for the drain cleaning job.

Professional Clog Removal Tools

Your local plumbing company has powerful tools at their disposal which can safely and effectively remove even the toughest clog. These tools, which are not ideally suited to use by amateurs, can make quick work of damaging drain clogs.

  • Motorized drain snakes. For major clog removal, drain snakes are used to clear pipes by extending long coils of wire down the drain, into the clog. While you can buy a manual drain snake from a hardware store, motorized snakes used by plumbers are much more effective for serious clog removal.
  • Video inspection. You know your pipes are clogged, but do you know where? Plumbers can use video cameras designed to look inside your pipes to see what type of clog they need to remove. This allows them to choose the right tool to remove the clog quickly and safely.
  • Hydro-jetting. In some cases, your plumber may use water to remove the clog. Hydro-jetting uses high pressured water to push out clogs and clean the interior of pipes. This is very effective for serious clogs in sewer pipes.

If you have a drain that constantly becomes clogged again and again, it is time to call in a professional plumber with the right tools for the job.

Posted on behalf of Shawn Bynum, Bynum Plumbing

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Is Your Bathroom Sink Draining Slowly?

March 26th, 2014 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Slow moving bathroom drains are a common plumbing complaint, and can usually be attributed to clogs or build-up. Usually the culprit is that funny-shaped pipe below your sink. Almost all sinks have a U-shaped pipe which, to a layman, may seem counter-productive to draining. In your bathroom sink, hair, toothpaste and other items can get trapped in this U bend, causing the slow draining of the sink. So if this is such a common problem, why is this U bend even put in pipes in the first place?

Why You Have A “U” In Your Pipes

There is a simple and solid reason that your bathroom sink has a U bend. The bend is designed to allow water from your sink to collect in the U shape, creating a seal between the drain opening and the below sewer pipes. Essentially what this does is keep the gases from the sewer lines below from rising up through your pipes and filling your bathroom. While it can contribute to clogged drains, it is the best way to keep the smell of the sewer water from entering your home.

The best solution is to be very careful about what is put down your bathroom sink. Wipe out hair, beard trimmings and excess hygiene products such as toothpaste and hair gel that land in your sink instead of just washing them down the drain. This will reduce the amount of debris that can get caught in that U bend and cam limit the number of clogs you will get in the future.

To get your bathroom drain flowing again, call your plumber to remove the clog and clean out the U bend in your bathroom plumbing. Once clear, regulate what is allowed to go down your bathroom drain to keep your U bend clean and functioning as it should.

Posted on behalf of Citywide Plumbing

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How To Open A Clogged Sink Drain With A Plunger

December 20th, 2013 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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When your drains either partially or fully clog, your first course of action is to employ your bathroom plunger. You can tackle this chore if a clog isn’t severe, or your local plumber can be scheduled to do it for you.

Your best friend in regards to clogged drains is an old-fashioned bathroom plunger. A bathroom plunger works by using water pressure to dislodge whatever debris is clogging your drains causing a water to back up, unsanitary conditions and general bathroom frustration. To enhance the power of your bathroom plunger, it is helpful to create as tight of a seal as possible between your drain and the plunger itself. Applying a thick coating of petroleum jelly to the bottom lip of your plunger is a great way to accomplish this. Now you can place the plunger over your clogged drain and pour some water around the head of the plunger. This will further seal the plunger for maximum pressure.

Depending on the extent of your clog, you may need to work the plunger in an up and down motion for a several minutes. Modern plumbing is strong enough to withstand the pressure of this method, but with older pipes you may cause damage by plunging too enthusiastically. Contact your local plumber if the clog does not break free after your initial attempts with your bathroom plunger. This quick-fix can become a big mess, not to mention an expensive one, if your efforts contribute to pipe breakage. While a plunger may be the solution for a minor clog, any blockage that can’t be easily cleared is grounds for contacting a licensed professional.

Posted on behalf of Kiddco Plumbing

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Unclogging Your Bathtub Drain

December 18th, 2013 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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What should you do about your clogged bathtub drain? First a word about prevention. It is imperative that you are using a properly fitted drain cover. This will catch hair, dirt and soap residue before it enters your pipes. Ideally, after showering you can simply empty this preliminary safeguard in the garbage on a daily basis and prevent your bathtub from getting clogged in the first place.

When you notice your bathtub is beginning to drain slowly but water is not accumulating more than a couple inches, you can gently use a bathroom plunger to dislodge the clog that is on the verge of fully blocking your pipes. It is important that you do this in the very early stages of the clogging, as a fully blocked pipe can be seriously damaged from the effects of applying this pressure. This is also a good time to make a mixture of ⅓ cup baking soda and ⅓ cup vinegar and let it sit in the drain for 10 minutes to dissolve the clog. Harsh chemicals are generally not recommended by plumbing professionals, because of damage they can cause to pipes.

If your clog has graduated to the extent that you have many inches of standing water after a shower, you may have a serious blockage, and you’ll need to address the mess at the source: pulling the entire clog from the pipes with a snake or a hooked device. These can be purchased at your local hardware store.

If the clog is too far into the piping system to be reached or if you don’t want to take on this project on your own, call your local plumber who can be trusted to clear clogged drains quickly without damaging your drain pipes.

Posted on behalf of Shawn Bynum, Bynum Plumbing

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Managing a Clogged Toilet

October 23rd, 2013 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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When it comes to embarrassing and messy situations in the average home, a clogged toilet definitely tops the list. While some minor clogs can be cleared away with the use of a hand plunger, there are some clogs that even the most vigorous plunger action won’t remedy.

Before you reach for a do-it-yourself cure for a clogged toilet, take a realistic appraisal of your plumbing knowledge. If you have a basic idea of how to use a closet auger, breaking one out and attempting to clear away a messy clog may be a reasonable choice. If your plumbing knowledge is limited, however, you’ll want to think twice before you attempt to repair your clogged toilet. Never pour chemicals intended for sink or bathtub drains down your toilet. Depending on the chemical composition of the product in question, it can cause the porcelain to crack or even explode.

If the closet auger doesn’t pass muster and you’re not sure of what to do next, it’s time to call in the professionals. There are plenty of folk remedies for clogged toilets to be found on the Internet or through well-intended advice, but these incorrect methods often lead to more trouble and extended downtime than they’re worth. If you don’t have a clear and proven plan of clog-busting action, don’t try to clear a blockage from your toilet yourself.

A licensed and experienced plumber can make quick work of even the most stubborn toilet clogs. With specialized equipment and plenty of practical knowledge, a professional plumber is the best person for the job. Keep in mind that the cost of repairing a DIY mistake will likely be much, much higher than the total cost of simply hiring a professional to handle the issue in the first place.

Posted on behalf of Chuck Seagraves, Seagraves Plumbing

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