Stop Drain Clogs Before They Happen This Holiday Season
The holidays are a time when drain clogs can happen. However, you can prevent clogs before they form with good plumbing habits. Plus, you should know how to make quick repairs if you have standing water in a drain or a toilet that doesn’t flush. However, discretion is vital. Knowing when to call a plumber for drain clogs could save you in future costly repairs. Here’s what you must know about keeping your drains clear this holiday season.
The Holidays and Drain Clogs
More people spend time at home during the holidays due to time off work or school. Therefore, your home sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, and water fixtures will have more use than at other times of the year. With the increased use of your home’s plumbing appliances, your drains will also have to deliver more wastewater to the sewer system.
Not only will your plumbing have greater use but you will also likely prepare rich holiday meals that may require extra use of your garbage disposal or rinsing off greasy dishes. Grease can lead to drain clogs, especially if you pour hot grease or cooking oil down a drain. As it cools, it creates a solid block that stops the water flow.
All of these situations combine to increase the chances of clogs. Therefore, now is the time to know how to prevent and fix these problems.
Prevent Drain Clogs
To prevent clogs, never put grease or oil down the drain. Also, don’t use your garbage disposal for processing greasy foods.
In the bathroom, keep hair out of the tub and shower drains with a filter over the drain. Letting hair flow down the drain can create a clog over time, especially if it catches in a bend in the drain line.
Fix Clogs Yourself
If you have standing water in a drain or your toilet does not flush adequately, use a plunger to attempt to clear the line. If your plunger fails, the next tool to use is your phone. Call a plumber to have your drain line cleared with high-pressure jetting or another professional-grade drain clearing system.
Call Best Service Plumber for Professional Drain Cleaning of Clogs
Store our number (951-356-9746) for Best Service Plumber in your phone so you will have us at your fingers if your home has drain clogs that need clearing. You can also contact us online if you have other questions or want to schedule an evaluation of your slow-flowing drains that could have clogs developing. We’re here to help you with your drain clogs or other plumbing concerns, at any time of the day or night. Don’t let a clog ruin your holiday fun. Keep us in mind for expert help when your drains won’t run.
Avoid Toilet Clogs and Other Problems This Holiday Season
The holiday season is one of the hardest times on your home’s plumbing. You typically have more people in your home between parties and people home for the holidays. The higher population in your home at this time leads to heavier usage of our plumbing fixtures, such as the toilet. If you want to avoid toilet clogs and other problems this holiday season, you need to prepare your home now.
Toilet Clogs
Perhaps one of the most common problems that can occur with your toilet is a clog. In fact, the likelihood is so great that your bathroom should have a plunger in it to fix this problem. If you don’t already have a plunger, go out and get one. Plunging a clogged toilet could save you the cost of calling a plumber.
Toilets clog for several reasons. First, they may have too much material to flush, whether this includes tissue or waste. Use a plunger to try to clear the clog. If this doesn’t work, you should call a plumber.
Another reason behind toilet clogs is toys that children or pets put into the bowl. Sometimes, you may be able to see and pull out the toys by putting on an elbow-length heavy cleaning glove. However, if the toys got caught farther in the system, you might need professional assistance.
Slow Toilets
If you find that your toilet doesn’t flush as it should, you may have problems with water delivery from the tank. Several things could cause this from a float that doesn’t allow the tank to fill with enough water to clogged rinse holes under the rim of the bowl. If after adjusting the float in the tank and clearing out the rinse holes with a coat hanger, you still have problems, you have an issue that will need a more thorough examination and diagnosis.
Rocking Toilets
Over time, the wax seal between your toilet and the floor can wear out, causing unevenness and rocking of the toilet when you sit on it. Though it may seem like a minor nuisance, this issue can lead to serious problems if the wax seal breaks. Because replacing the wax seal requires moving the toilet, invest in the help of a plumber for the job. You will save yourself from having to move a heavy, bulk, and delicate porcelain bowl. Plus, when a plumber does the work, you can ensure that it will be completed correctly the first time.
Have Toilet Clogs or Other Troubles? Call Us at Best Service Plumber
Perhaps the best preparation that you can do for potential holiday plumbing woes is to take down our number at Best Service Plumber, 951-356-9631. We are available 24/7 to help you with emergencies that may arise. If you don’t have an emergency but want to contact us about making an appointment or to get questions answered, feel free to do so with our online form. We’re waiting to help you restore your home’s plumbing operation if toilet clogs or other issues happen over the holidays.
How to Prevent Drain Clogs
No one wants to wake up to water in the bathtub or sink from a clogged drain. However, almost everyone will experience this at some time in their lives. The best way to prepare for the event is to do everything that you can to prevent drain clogs. If you still get a clog, know when you can fix it and when to call a plumber.
Understand the Causes of Clogs
Drain clogs frequently happen when either the wrong materials go down the drain or they clump together to create blockages. For instance, soapy water can cause buildup on the sides of your pipes, slowing down the speed of water draining from a tub or sink. Hair, too, can also cause clogs. The following are some substances that frequently can clog your home’s drains:
- Soap scum
- Hair
- Cooking grease
- Fabric lint
- Food waste
How to Prevent Drain Clogs
Once you recognize the things that can cause blockages, to prevent drain clogs keep those things out of tubs, toilets, and sinks as much as possible. In many cases, filtering screens over the drains will help.
For instance, use a hair catcher or filter over your tub or shower drain to trap hair before it can wash down into the pipes. You can also install a filter over your washing machine’s drainage pipe to catch fabric lint.
In the kitchen, properly discard of cooking grease and food waste. If you have a compost bin, you can use that or throw them away. You should not put them down the sink where they can lead to costly clogs.
To prevent soap scum from clogging your drains, make sure to flush your drains with very hot water several times a month. This is especially important if you have low-flow plumbing fixtures that don’t use enough water to send soap scum all the way through the drains.
How to Handle Drain Clogs
If you do experience a clog, you have two options. The first is to attempt to plunge it out with a household plunger. This device will often work to free up most simple clogs. However, if it doesn’t work, call a plumber. Do not use chemical drain cleaners because they could simply move the clog further down into the waste system or cause damage to some parts of your plumbing.
When You Cannot Prevent Drain Clogs, Call Us at Best Service Plumber
The above tips to prevent drain clogs will not keep you from ever experiencing a slow or stopped drain, but they will stop most of these events from happening. If you do have a drain that needs clearing, phone us at Best Service Plumber. We have both standard and emergency services, depending on the situation. In some cases, a drain clog will block your main drain line, keeping you from using any of the plumbing in your home. Naturally, this requires emergency attention. A single sink that drains slowly may require standard service. To get ahold of either service, phone us at (951) 338-8624 to reach our office, and we can direct you to the best service for your drain clearing needs.