Drain Cleaning
How Do You Unclog a Drain With a Septic System?
. . Clogged drains are a common problem, but they can often be resolved without calling in a professional. Moreover, you don’t need to use toxic chemicals to clear your clog. With a bit of patience and some tried and true methods, you can often unclog your drain by yourself in a reasonably short amount of time. . How To Unclog a Drain with Septic System . To unclog a clogged drain with a septic system, it’s important to be able to identify there is a septic tank clogged drain or pipe. Since the septic tank is an underground storage tank that holds the waste and toilet paper that is flushed from your home and into the drain field, it’s reasonable for clogs to occur. The pipe leading from your house to the septic system is a main drain line prone to many clogs or even damages. Some of the
How to Tell if Your Garbage Disposal is Broken
Kitchen sinks with garbage disposals make life easier for millions of Americans, providing an easy way to get rid of food waste after meals without the worry of a clog from food particles in your plumbing system. Although around 47 percent of us have garbage disposals, most of us never give them much thought until they’re not working. There are things homeowners can do to help avoid having common problems with their garbage disposal, and learning the warning signs/troubleshooting tips, that your unit is in need of repair or replacement. Here are a few red flags that should alert you to contact a plumbing contractor for garbage disposal maintenance work: Signs You Have a Broken Garbage Disposal Bad odors – If your disposal has a persistent bad odor even after you’ve run ice cubes and running water (soapy, hot water) from the faucet and other cleaners, this may be a
How to Save Money On Your Utilities and Water Bills
Whether you have city water or get your water from a well, there are costs for your water in Kansas City. With city water, you typically get a monthly bill that includes your water usage along with sewer fees. For homes with wells, it costs electricity to pump the water out of the ground into the home. You also have added costs of maintenance of the good system and your septic tank. Saving energy can be as simple as turning off your ceiling fans and light bulbs when not in the room (as well as replacing the incandescent light bulbs with new LED bulbs, which can be found at local retailers as well as Amazon and elsewhere), using smart power strips instead of unplugging devices that aren’t in use, as well as stopping air leaks with caulk and weatherstripping can all lead to a reduction in the amount of energy
Renters and Plumbing Repairs
Most of our posts are written for homeowners who actually live in their homes, but this post is geared towards homeowners who rent or lease out one or more homes. It’s valuable for renters too! When you’re a homeowner who is living in your home, you’re fairly cost-conscious. You know that if there’s a leak in the roof, you have to call a roofer and take care of it. You have to make sure that the lawn looks good year-round so the neighbors don’t complain, and you have to replace the garbage disposal or dishwasher when they outlive their lifespan and breakdown for good. There’s no landlord or property manager to call when something needs to be maintained or repaired – it’s all on you. With the cost of repairs always in the back of your mind, you’re mindful about your property (inside and out), and you do whatever you
Know Your Plumbing Basics!
A plumbing emergency or worse, a plumbing disaster, is every homeowner’s nightmare. An overflowing toilet, a flooded basement, a leaking hot water heater, or a leaky pipe that causes significant water damage in your flooring and ceilings are all bad news. Issues with hot water and cold water sides of your faucet, fresh water line issues, drainage system issues, sewer gas odors, or problems with your vent system. Back ups in your sewer line, broken water meters, or plumbing issues or blockages with your drain system – such problems can cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage and destroy expensive flooring and furnishings. If you are in the dark about plumbing or know little about it, learning a few beginners basic plumbing tips and how plumbing works can go a long way in preventing plumbing and water system emergencies before they begin, and the need to call a professional plumber
How to Kill Tree Roots in a Sewer Line
Most of us can agree that trees, especially large mature trees, are beautiful. A yard filled with lush trees can make all the difference in the way a property looks, but unfortunately, big trees can spell disaster for a home’s sewer pipes, and when it comes to your sewer line, the last thing you want to hear are the words “blockage” and “tree roots”! Tree roots have many functions for the tree itself, and one of the major functions tree roots serve is to find water, wherever it can, and that includes drain pipes and sewer pipes. As new roots develop and seek water, the root invasion may begin. Tendrils that resemble spider webs will creep into the tiny cracks from corrosion in the clay pipes, or loose joints, and once they find the source of the moisture, the root system will send tree roots, which after consistent liquid nourishment,
Main Causes of Sewer Problems
Modern-day plumbing is arguably one of the greatest inventions of mankind, next to the Internet and the smartphone. It’s also something that we don’t think much about until we see dirty water backing up in our kitchen or bathroom sink, or our bathtub. If you have water backing up in one of your drains, you want to get down to the bottom of the problem and you want it fixed right away. What could be causing the problem? It probably comes down to one of these three common problems. 1. A Blocked Drain Perhaps the most common cause of a sewer problem is a blockage located in the drain. If your toilet is backed up, or if your bathtub or sink isn’t draining properly, you probably have a clogged drain. If all of the other drains in the house are working fine and the problem is isolated to one individual
Why Routine Drain Cleaning is Important
When it comes to your home’s plumbing system it’s not a matter of if you’ll have a drain problem, it’s a question of “when.” Whether a person lives in a one bedroom, modest home, or a sprawling 7 bedroom house, they are bound to have issues with their drains eventually. Since plumbing tends to be the last thing people think about until a pipe burst, a shower drain or toilet clogs, many people neglect their plumbing until it’s too late and serious and costly damage has already occurred. Just like our automobiles need regular oil changes, our drain system needs to be maintained as well. If we put off drain cleaning, normal wear and tear can lead to clogs and expensive repairs. The same thing happens to humans: when we eat a diet high in saturated fats for too long, eventually our arteries become clogged, leading to adverse health consequences,
Tree Roots and Your Plumbing System
Big, mature trees are often welcomed with open arms by homeowners. They provide shade, they improve the aesthetics of a yard, and they make a neighborhood look splendid. Unfortunately, while they beautify our front and back yards, they can also wreak havoc on our indoor plumbing system. In order for trees to grow, they must have water. So, tree roots naturally seek water and they gravitate towards sewer lines. Roots have never found a plumbing leak they didn’t like! Whenever a tree root does find a leak, it won’t take long before the roots grow into the pipe, inhibiting the flow of waste. When tree roots grow into pipes in their continuous search of water, the roots cause broken pipes, blockages, and other plumbing problems for homeowners, especially problems involving sewage. As you can imagine, a sewage leak is not only messy, it’s unsanitary, and people are not supposed to
Hydro Jetting vs. Snaking
Every homeowner will deal with a clogged drain at some point, it’s inevitable. Sometimes people can’t always control what gets flushed down the toilet drain and on to the sewer line, or ground up in the garbage disposal that leads to a buildup which results in a blockage. If you have toddlers or house guests that don’t understand how plumbing systems work, you get this one. If you get a clogged drain in your shower, bathtub, bathroom or kitchen sink, your first line of defense should be a plunger. Simple clogs can usually be resolved with a plunger, such as too much toilet paper, or drain clogs that are caused by something other than mineral build up or fragile pipes. But if no amount of plunging will do the trick for that stubborn clog, you’re going to need something more powerful (or someone with the right tools, such as our