Why You Shouldn’t Attempt to Install Your Own Toilet

May 26th, 2014 Posted in Toilets
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The do-it-yourself trend continues to gain speed, with more homeowners than ever opting to tackle projects around the house themselves. While handling your own minor repairs and upgrades can be a rewarding, money-saving experience, there are some tasks which the average homeowner isn’t likely to save money on or complete without serious difficulty and risk. One of these projects is the installation of a new toilet.

Toilet Installation Necessities

In order to operate at optimal efficiency and be properly functioning, a toilet must be installed correctly. Improper installation can damage not only the appearance of a toilet, but also dramatically reduce the advertised efficiency and shorten the life of the fixture overall. Homeowners who have opted to upgrade their existing toilet for greater efficiency may even find themselves using more water and energy through incorrect installation techniques.

A poorly placed toilet may slide, rock and move when it’s used, increasing the risk of injury to both the toilet and the person using it. Connections and fittings should be leak-free under all conditions, something an inexperienced installer may not be able to either ensure or verify.

Ensuring Functionality and Safety

The best and most effective method of ensuring your new toilet lasts for many years, meets efficiency ratings and functions properly is to work with an experienced, reputable and licensed plumber in your area. Together, you can ensure the proper installation of your new, more efficient toilet to save money and protect your investment.

Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing Septic and Sewer

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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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Unclog That Toilet!

August 1st, 2013 Posted in Toilets
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How frustrating and sometimes messy or embarrassing is a clogged toilet? Worse, it never seems to happen at an opportune time but, rather, at the time when you are most in a hurry. Fortunately, most toilet clogs can be cleared relatively easily with a hand plunger, just make sure that enough water remains in the bowl to cover the rubber end of the plunger. If not enough water remains in the bowl, do not reflush the tank as the clogged bowl will then overflow. It is better to transport additional water in a bucket or pan from the sink in order to cover the plunger cup. When there is sufficient water in the bowl, pump the plunger to remove the plug.

If the plunger is ineffective, you may next try a closet auger, which has a long sleeve to guide the snake with a hook into the toilet’s water trap. After inserting the auger into the toilet trap, turn it until it feels tight. This is a sign that the snake has twisted into the blockage. Whatever is clogging the toilet should, then, be removed when you pull in the auger. Should this attempt achieve unsatisfactory results, you may need to resort to a regular plumber’s snake because it reaches a greater distance.

Should all efforts at removal fail, the toilet itself may need to be removed from the floor. This is not an easy task and perhaps you may wish to contact your local plumbing professional for further help with this problem. Rather than struggle through the process yourself, your plumbing contractor can quickly and cost effectively have you back in good running order in no time.

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Clogged Toilet? Skip the Liquid Drain Cleaner

March 13th, 2013 Posted in Toilets
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Few things are as messy and unpleasant for homeowners to deal with as a clogged toilet. If you live in a home with only one bathroom, it can also be a relatively urgent situation. When going to work with a plunger yields no results, you should think twice before reaching for a bottle of commercially-available liquid drain cleaner.

At first blush, liquid drain cleaner might seem like the solution to all of your problems. After all, it’s designed to bust tough clogs in your sink, shower and bathtub drains. What it’s not formulated for, however, is the toilet.

If your toilet isn’t flushing at all, the chemicals in a commercial drain cleaner almost certainly will not be able to reach the blockage. Most clogs form beyond the top of the S-trap, so the drain cleaner will generally sit in the bowl and never come into contact with the clog at all.

Furthermore, most drain cleaners are comprised of caustic lye and other dangerous chemicals, often including sodium hydroxide. When sodium hydroxide comes into contact with water, it reacts by generating extreme heat. Not only can this chemical reaction melt the wax seal between the base of your toilet and the sewer opening, it can also cause hairline stress fractures and cracks in the toilet bowl.

It’s natural to come back to the plunger method when a liquid drain cleaner fails to perform, but doing so increases the risk of skin irritation and injury resulting from contact with these corrosive chemicals as the water in the toilet splashes back onto you. Rather than taking your chances with dangerous and potentially destructive chemicals intended for sink, tub and shower drains, it’s best to call a licensed plumber in your area.

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Clogged Toilet Do’s and Don’ts

July 5th, 2012 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Nobody wants a clogged toilet, but in most cases it is little more than an inconvenience.  Here are a few tips to keep your clogged toilet from becoming a major hassle.

Don’t try clearing a clogged toilet by flushing it again.  That’s just wishful thinking. If it’s clogged and didn’t overflow after the first flush, it darn sure will after the second flush.

Don’t try to clear a toilet clog using chemicals.  These chemicals can harm your pipes and are bad for the environment, but most importantly if they don’t work then you have a toilet full of dangerous chemicals to deal with.  If you try to use a plunger after pouring chemicals in the toilet you could easily splash these chemicals on your skin or in your eyes and be seriously injured.

Do take your time with a clogged toilet.  Once you have the water turned off and cleaned up any spilled water, you have plenty of time to carefully consider your options and deal with the clog.  Most toilet clogs can be cleared with an old fashioned plunger and some patience. If you are in a hurry to get to work, just leave the clog and deal with it when you get home.  In fact, you might get lucky and it clears while you are away.

Do call a plumber if you are unable to clear the clog with a plunger or if the toilet clogs easily and frequently.  Your clogged toilet could be a sign of other issues such as a septic system or sewer line problem or there could be an obstruction in your drain pipe causing clogs to form.

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