Garbage Disposal

There are numerous reasons that a toilet clog could be occurring, even on a daily basis. This could happen because of how the toilet is used, from problems in the toilet’s mechanics, toilet drain, sewer lines or main sewer line issues, or perhaps even problems with your water supply, water pressure or plumbing vents. There are some DIY solutions that are implemented like chemical drain cleaners, however those are almost always inferior to an auger – chemical drain cleaners will have no impact on tree roots or other large blockages in drain pipes. This post will cover several of these reasons a homeowner’s toilet could be clogged and provide some fixes, as well as offer plumbing tips to keep your toilet from clogging! Common Causes for a Clogged Toilet Low Flow Toilet Simply put, one reason that a toilet could experience frequent clogging is that too much is being asked

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

Garbage disposals are a handy thing to have in our kitchens, as it allows us to take care of our drains by chopping up the pieces of food waste before they go down the drainpipe. Whether you are putting your dinner leftovers down the disposal, orange peels, and coffee grounds or your child has thrown one too many action figures down the drain, you are well aware that at times they can stop working altogether and will need some garbage disposal repair. While it may not happen all too often, in the event your garbage disposal has stopped working, here are a few simple tips to consider in order to get it back in shape. In the event your garbage disposal stops, you want to immediately turn off the switch and refrain from placing your hand or any other object inside of it. Even when the device is off because

Some people have a good grasp of plumbing, especially when they grew up with a father or a grandfather who was pretty handy around the house. If you were the kid who wore your Dad’s tool belt as he repaired a clogged garbage disposal or a leaky faucet, you may have a good understanding of how indoor plumbing works. On the other hand, perhaps you grew up in apartments. Whenever your single mom had a problem with the plumbing, the apartment manager would dispatch a handyman or a professional plumber to fix the issue. Or, perhaps your parents were very busy people with demanding careers. Your father was traveling all the time and your mom was always at the office, so you were cared for by your grandmother or a babysitter. In other words, your father didn’t have time to do work around the house so he called a professional

In many situations, renters and homeowners have different mentalities when it comes to home maintenance. When something breaks down or stops working, usually the first thing a renter does is put in a call to their landlord. Renters may not think twice about what they put down the garbage disposal or the toilet because they automatically think their landlord will foot the bill when a problem arises. Homeowners, on the other hand, know that if anything were to go wrong, they have no one to rely on but themselves. So, homeowners do their best to take care of their property so they can minimize all home-related costs. From their roof to their HVAC system, to their carpeting, and their indoor plumbing system, most homeowners are actively looking for ways to take care of their property and reduce repair and replacement costs. Are You a Landlord? Real estate can be a

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

If you will be entertaining over the holidays the last thing you want is for a plumbing disaster to strike, and we all know that emergencies always happen at the worst times – like when we have a house full of guests! Whether the issue is a toy car clogging the toilet, turkey grease solidifying in the kitchen drain, silverware jamming the garbage disposal, or a broken water heater on Christmas Eve, plumbers are the superheroes over the holidays, that’s for sure! Many households see an increase in activity between November 23rd and January 1st, which places additional stress on the water heater, dishwasher, showers, bathtubs, toilets, kitchen sink drain, garbage disposal, and even the washing machine, which means household plumbing is put the ultimate test. While you can put in an emergency call to a plumber over the holidays, you’d prefer not to have to place a call on

If you live in a rural area, or if you have an older home, you may think that having a garbage disposal is like having a dishwasher; it’s a luxury more than a necessity. Or, if you’re like most people, you feel that garbage disposals are a “must have” component to a modern kitchen to grind food and dispose of food waste, food scraps and other smaller pieces of food particles down the kitchen sink – we sure feel that way! Just like a refrigerator or a clothes dryer, garbage disposals don’t last forever; all appliances have a life expectancy. However, garbage disposal units, like our bodies and like any other household appliance, automobile, or piece of furniture, can last longer and avoid a call to the plumber for garbage disposal repair or replacement if they have proper garbage disposal maintenance, and they aren’t abused. So, how long should a

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

Most of can agree that it’s really nice to have a working garbage disposal. It makes it so much easier to clean up after cooking a big meal and it makes loading the dishwasher or washing dishes a painless process. While we may view garbage disposals as “modern conveniences,” they’re actually much more than that: They help take care of the planet. Not only are they cheap to run – they don’t use much water – they reduce the food waste that is sent to our nation’s landfills, which produces methane gas. When you run the disposal unit at home, you’re helping the environment. Why? Because, as you grind up food in the disposal, the ground-up food scraps are liquefied so they are much easier to treat down at the local water plant. The recycled food scraps, compliments of your garbage disposal, are recycled into fertilizer and clean water. As