When Does a Clogged Sink Require a Plumber?

Clogged sinks or drains are a common problem, and many can be a DIY fix. Grease, hair, soap and food are common causes of sink drain clogs, creating a blockage in your pipes. While you should try to avoid clogs by limiting what goes down your drains and using drain strainers to catch common clog-culprits, most households experience some sink clogs. When you are facing a tough drain clog, you need to know when to call in a plumber to fix your problem.

DIY Clogs Fixes

A slow draining sink usually occurs before a complete clog. This is the best time to try to fix your sink yourself. Often, you can use a plunger to loosen the clog if it is close to the sink drain and effectively clear the pipe. Another safe solution is to use baking soda and vinegar to clear the clog – pour a pot of boiling water down the drain then a ½ cup of baking soda. Wait a few minutes, then pour a cup of vinegar and a cup of hot water down the drain and cover it. Wait about 10 minutes and then flush the drain with a pot of boiling water.

When a plunger or the vinegar/baking soda trick does not work, you may need the drain “snaked.” This is best performed by a professional plumber that has the right equipment and can carefully remove the clog without harming your plumbing. In some cases, the clog may be too far down the pipe, even in your sewer line, and may need to be removed with hydro-jetting. Contact your local plumber if you experience a tough clog to have it inspected and removed.

Posted on behalf of:
Seagraves Plumbing Sewer & Septic
4980 Plant Atkinson Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(494) 792-2221

What to Do About a Stinky Kitchen Sink

Have you ever had a bad odor in your kitchen, but you are not sure where it is coming from? You take out the garbage, look for spoiled food in the fridge and spray disinfectant, but the odor still hits you from time to time. Often, that stinky smell is not in your garbage or refrigerator, but in your sink. All the food particles that go down the drain don’t always make it out of the plumbing. You can have rotting food in your pipes or garage disposal, causing a nasty smell in your kitchen. Here are some tips to freshen your kitchen drains and get rid of the stinky odor.

  • Clean your garage disposal. Often it is not your drain, but your garbage disposal, that is the source of the smell. To avoid kitchen sink stink, put about two cups of ice and a cup of salt down the drain and run the water while turning on the disposal until the ice is gone. Do this once a week to clean out any debris.
  • Cleanse your drain. The curvy pipes under your kitchen sink are often where food particles get stuck, creating a bad odor. Cleanse the drain with a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar once a week. Let this mixture do its job for at least ten minutes, then rinse it clean with boiling water.
  • Add a little fresh scent. To deodorize after cleaning, you can put some very small lemon or orange rinds down the garage disposal and grind them up to add a pleasant odor.

Sometimes, the bad smell is more than just a few pieces of rotting food under your sink. If cleansing your disposal and drain does not eliminate the odor, call your plumber. You may have a bigger problem, like a larger clog or sewage backup that will only get worse and cause more than just an odor if not fixed soon.

Posted on behalf of:
Seagraves Plumbing Sewer & Septic
4980 Plant Atkinson Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(494) 792-2221

When to Call a Plumber for a Clogged Drain

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

Three Strange Sink Sounds Which May Be Signs of Trouble

Normally, your sink is a relatively quiet fixture. Except for the whooshing sound of water going down the drain and the occasionally hum of the garbage disposal, it mostly remains silent. However, if your sink does start speaking up, it’s usually is a sign something’s amiss. Here are three strange sinks sounds that should get your attention:

Gurgling Sounds While Draining

A gurgling sink usually means there’s air trapped in your pipes. The cause can be debris from your garbage disposal which has created a clog that’s trapping air behind the blockage, or you may just need a vent added to your pipes. Either way, a gurgling sound is a good reason to call a plumber.

Whining Faucet

If your sink’s faucet makes a whining noise when it is turned on, there are a few different reasons for this noise. It may be something as simple as a loose washer or air in the pipes. It could also be a problem with the valves located under your sink.

Clinking or Thumping

A clinking noise when you turn on the water in your sink can be an easy fix. Most of the time, a loose washer which can easily be tightened or replaced is the culprit. However, if this isn’t the issue, it’s best to call a plumber to inspect your faucet and pipes.

If your sink is talking to you with any of these or other sounds, listen to what it’s saying and call your local plumber. Most issues can be quickly and inexpensively remedied, provided they’re caught before they become major problems.

Posted on behalf of:
Kiddco Plumbing Inc
Sterling, VA
(703) 435-4441

Preventing Bathroom Plumbing Problems

Bathrooms are one of the most common areas for plumbing problems, especially clogged drains. You may be taking a shower one day and notice that your shower is quickly becoming a bath as the water collects in your tub. You may notice after brushing your teeth that the water in your sink is still slowly draining several minutes later. Even worse, a toilet may suddenly overflow. Although some plumbing problems cannot be helped, there are ways to prevent many of these bathroom clog issues.

  • Use drain covers. In bathrooms, the biggest culprit clogging drains is hair. In both the shower and sink, make sure to use a drain cover to collect as much hair as possible before it goes down the drain. Make sure to physically remove collected hair and throw it away.
  • Don’t flush plastic. Anyone on a septic system should know not to flush anything plastic or non-biodegradable down the toilet. This should also be adhered to in homes on city sewer systems. Wrappers, feminine hygiene components and other items can quickly clog a toilet, causing it to back-up.
  • Avoid chemical de-clogging products. As tempting as it is to use chemical clog removers, avoid these products. Instead, use a plunger or other clog removing devices. These chemicals rarely remove the entire clog and can be harmful to your plumbing, possibly causing bigger problems down the road.

Of course, there are some other plumbing issues which will occur, such as a leaky faucet, toilet or shower. Your local plumber can help get these issues resolved quickly and will also be there to remove tough clogs that just will not budge.

Posted on behalf of Metro Septic and Plumbing

Preventing Bathroom Drain Clogs

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

Is Your Dishwasher Leaving Your Dishes Dirty?

If your dishes are coming out of your dishwasher with film or scum on them instead of sparkling clean, it may be time to check your dishwasher’s interior for problems. Even dishwashers can become dirty, or get clogged, due to accumulation of grease and food debris. Periodically performing routine maintenance on this appliance can help improve the cleaning performance, plus help reduce any foul odors from old food trapped in the washer.

How To Clean Your Dishwasher

To clean your dishwasher, start by getting a container of warm water with detergent, such as dish soap or all-purpose cleaner. Use a soft brush to clean the gaskets and rubber seals around the door, as well as the top and bottom racks. After scrubbing the ceiling of the dishwasher, pull out the bottom rack and scrub down the bottom, walls and around the drain. Check to make sure nothing is clogged in the drain; remove any debris which is stuck around the drain.

Once the entire inside has been scrubbed down with soapy water, fill a coffee cup or small glass with white vinegar. Run the dishwasher with only the vinegar cup inside for a full wash. The vinegar will help rinse any leftover residue and eliminate bad odors. You can also reduce odors by sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher between cleanings and running the rinse cycle.

If after cleaning your dishwasher your dishes are still not coming out clean, you may have a partially clogged drain, or problems within the dishwasher’s mechanisms. To explore the problem further, call your local plumber to inspect both the drain and your washer for other possible problems.

Posted on behalf of Metro Septic and Plumbing

Professional Tools For Removing Drain Clogs

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?

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

Keeping Drains Healthy

Slow moving drains are almost always an inconvenience, but they can also be an indicator of a fairly serious plumbing issue. More commonly, however, clogged drains are a common household problem caused largely by misuse and a lack of maintenance. Preventing clogs and pipe obstructions isn’t always possible, as some situations can arise despite your best efforts, but there are some things you can do to keep your drains healthy and in peak operating condition.

Bathroom Drains

Sinks, showers and bathtub drains can become clogged with a variety of substances, but the most common culprits are hair and soap build-up. To prevent clogs in tub and shower drains, consider the use of a simple screen which is designed to trap hair before it flows down the drain. These products will act as a physical barrier, which you can then clean out to prevent shower and tub drain clogs.

Kitchen Drains

Cooking grease, coffee grounds and food waste are notorious sources of slow-moving drains and clogs in kitchen sinks. Avoid pouring anything oily, especially cooking greases and fats which will solidify, down the drain of your kitchen sink. Use drain grates to prevent food waste and scraps from falling into the drain, and never wash coffee grounds down the sink.

There are times when, despite your efforts to prevent clogs, drains may run slowly or become obstructed. While there are commercially-available products on the market designed to combat these clogs, it’s wise to think twice about using them to remove clogs. The primary ingredient in many of these products is lye or another corrosive chemical, which can wreak havoc with the structural integrity of your pipes. When you’re confronted with a clog, contact a licensed, professional plumber in your area to make an appointment for safe and appropriate treatment of the problem.

Posted on behalf of Shawn Bynum, Bynum Plumbing

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