You try to take a shower, and end up ankle-deep in murky water. You brush your teeth, and the
sink doesn’t drain. We’ve all been there. There’s nothing pleasant about a clogged drain or blocked pipe. Fortunately, there are a number of drain cleaning solutions that can have things running smoothly again in no time. How do you know whether to tackle the problem yourself or to call your local plumber in? Here are a few tips to help you make the decision.

Taking the DIY Approach

From hair to grease and beyond, many clogs and blockages are easily resolved at home, using a number of DIY techniques. These work particularly well on soft blockages that are located relatively close to the
surface of the drain. If you know what is blocking your drain, or you want to try a quick fix before calling a professional, these options may be for you.

Corrosive Drain Cleaners

The first thing that many people do when faced with a clogged drain is reach for the drain cleaner. There are a number of drain cleaners on the market that use corrosive chemicals to power through soft clogs near the surface of the drain. These cleaners typically come in liquid form and contain highly concentrated bleach, lye, or potassium hydroxide. Some drain cleaners contain two components that are mixed when poured into the drain, creating a gas that is trapped inside the plumbing by a thick foam. The foam is designed to coat the insides of the drain pipe, removing the substance causing the clog. Chemical drain cleaners can be very convenient and easy to use. Most of them just require you to pour them into the clogged drain, wait awhile, and then rinse with warm water. The downside to chemical drain cleaners is that they are typically ineffective on more difficult clogs, or on blockages that occur further down the sewer line. The corrosive nature of these products also makes them potentially dangerous if they come into contact with your skin, eyes, or even lungs if you inadvertently breathe in their fumes. If you decide to use a chemical drain cleaner, take care to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and take proper caution to prevent injury.

The Natural Approach

A safer (but equally effective) alternative to chemical drain cleaners comes from combining ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Do you remember building volcanoes for the school science fair by combining vinegar with baking soda to make an “eruption?” This technique builds on that same principle. First, pour about 3/4 of a cup of dry baking soda down the drain. Then, pour about 1/2 a cup of vinegar down the drain. White vinegar and apple cider vinegar work great, but any type will do. As soon as you pour the vinegar down the drain, you’ll want to cover the drain opening with a rag or some type of drain plug. The mixture of vinegar and baking soda will cause a chemical reaction, creating a foam that will rise up through the drain (just like the volcano!). Covering the drain will keep as much of the foam inside the pipe as possible, where it can unleash its cleaning power. Let the foam do its thing for about 30 minutes, then flush it thoroughly by pouring hot water down the drain. It may take multiple applications, but this method often leaves your drain clean and flowing smoothly. Using baking soda and vinegar is great when you need a drain cleaning solution on the fly, or if you are looking for a natural alternative to corrosive cleaners.

Clearing the Trap

A third DIY solution requires a little bit more work on your part, but is well-worth it if you are
faced with a large hair clog, or some foreign material caught in your sink drain. The first thing you’ll want to do is clear out the area under the sink. Then, place a bucket (you can use a pot in a pinch) under the sink pipes to catch any water or other debris that might fall out of the sink trap. Use pliers to loosen the metal slip nuts, and then finish removing them by hand. If you’ve got a plastic trap, you can usually skip the pliers, and just turn the slip nuts manually. You can use your hands to knock any blockage from inside the “elbow” of the trap into your bucket. If the clog is higher up near the drain (as is often the case with hair clogs in bathroom sinks), you can straighten a wire hanger and use that to pull the clog down through the pipe. Once the blockage is clear, just put the elbow back on and re-tighten the slip nuts. Dispose of the water and debris in your bucket (do NOT pour it back down the drain!), and voila–as good as new!

When to Call in the Pros

There are some times when it is just better to leave the plumbing repair work to the professionals. Examples of professional draining cleaning jobs include when you have:

• Recurring or persistent clogs that don’t respond to DIY treatment
• Thick grease blockages
• Clogged sewer pipes
• Invasive root growth

Master plumbers and other professionals have access to a number of tools made specifically for handling difficult drain clogs and blockages. Professional drain cleaners, such as those containing sulfuric acid, can be extremely dangerous when used by someone other than a licensed professional. Other professional tools, such as those used for hydrojetting, are far too expensive to be practical for anyone other than a master plumber. With the right tools and their extensive training, your plumber can effectively clear your drains of even the toughest blockages.

If you have tried to attack a difficult clog to no avail, it is possible that the blockage is in a place beyond your reach. With a bathtub drain, you might have to go into the pipes behind a wall. Some clogs can even
occur further down the water main, outside the house. A licensed plumber has the knowledge andexperience to handle complicated situations, making sure that all of your pipesend up back in the right places, avoiding further issues down the line. Amaster plumber can clear a drain and conduct additional troubleshooting todetect invasive root growth or other issues that you may have overlooked. If you’ve got a leaking faucet in addition to a blocked drain, you might want to call in a professional who can take care of everything at once.

The pros of calling in the Pros include:

• Expert knowledge and experience
• High-quality tools made to get the job done
• Convenience of having someone else do the work
• Troubleshooting knowledge to prevent other issues

When it comes to simple drain clogs, you can often resolve them on your own. For larger, more difficult jobs, don’t let the cost of hiring a professional deter you. Many plumbing specialists offer reasonable rates for their services, and you can’t put a price on your personal safety and peace of mind. Resolving a problem like a persistent leak can also save you on your water bill–savings that are well worth enlisting the help of a
professional.

Whether you are a homeowner or a business owner, your hot water heater is a central part of your day-to-day life and is essential to both your comfort and your basic needs. When hot water heaters stop working, it can have a huge impact on just about every aspect of your domestic or business routine. Due to their complexity, it’s not advisable to try to water heater repair work on your own. The good news is, though, that a master plumber will have on hand the tools and the expertise to address any issue you might be experiencing with your hot water supply and can perform whatever repair, service, or replacement work is necessary to get things back to normal.

There are a number of different elements that might signal that you have a problem with your water heater. You may run out of hot water quickly, or only get lukewarm water even when you run water from the hot tap. You may also hear banging or other noises from inside the water heater tank. These symptoms can signal an array of problems, from a cracked tank shell to a damaged or malfunctioning heating element. These are not problems that are safe to address on your own, even if you have extensive home repair experience. Water heaters are powered either by electricity or gas and, of course, are connected to water supply lines. Working with this combination of elements can be dangerous unless you have professional experience with those utilities, so it is advisable to leave both the diagnostic and repair work to an expert.

Once you call a plumber in, he or she will be able to assess the situation and determine what part of the water heater system isn’t working. In some cases, however, your water heater may simply be at the end of its life. In this scenario, your plumber will be able to help you determine what your current hot water heater needs are for your home or business and can help you choose and install a new water heater that will best suit your situation. Your plumber may even recommend a new tankless water heater, which, as the name suggests, eliminates the hot water holding tank found in traditional water heaters. Instead, tankless models heat the hot water you need on demand, which is a more energy-efficient option than constantly keeping a reservoir of hot water at the ready. Whatever option you choose, your plumber will be able to disconnect and remove the old heater and perform the new water heater installation so that you get hot water running again as quickly as possible.

A working hot water heater is an essential feature of any home or business. If you’re not getting the hot water you need, contact a master plumber in your area as soon as possible. They can perform necessary repair work that is beyond the purview of even the most intrepid DIY expert or can replace your water heater in cases where repair work won’t be sufficient. With their help, you’ll be able to enjoy plentiful hot water and to feel secure in the service or replacement work that was performed.

A problem with your plumbing system can cause countless inconveniences and expenses. Ignoring such issues or relying on amateurs is just asking for more trouble. If you suspect blockages, leaks, or other plumbing problems, call your local professional today.

Are you making home updates and improvements to prepare for a sale? Did you wake up one morning to find a flooded bathroom or a stopped up sink? Have you been experiencing very high water bills? These are just three of countless reasons why home and business owners may need to call in the services of a master plumber. When you have plumbing problems of any kind, it is essential to trust an experienced professional plumber, ensuring all repairs, installations, and maintenance tasks are performed with knowing hands and quality products. Amateur work can not only cause a disaster–it can end up costing you a fortune to have a professional reverse the damage!

Just some of the excellent services available to you through your local plumbing expert include:

• Rooter Service – Take one step beyond your typical drain cleaning job! Sometimes very nasty clogs–tougher than what typical over-the-counter drain cleaners can handle–block pipes deep within your plumbing infrastructure. To dissolve these hair wads, invasive tree roots, and other blockages, your local plumber will use a powerful tool called a plumber’s snake to clear the blockage. Professional operation of this tool is essential, as using a snake that is the wrong size or is too powerful for your particular system can result in warped, cracked, or bent pipes.
• Leak detection service – A leak in your plumbing can cause high water bills, damage to your home and property, and more. The first step to repairing the leak is actually locating it in the labyrinth of pipes that run through the walls, ceilings, and floors of your building! This can be done with a variety of high-tech leak detection methods, such as video pipe inspection, hydrostatic detection, and static detection. Once the leak is detected, the plumber can determine the source, size, and severity of the leak and begin the appropriate approach for repairs. Professional leak detection also takes much of the guesswork out of pipe repair, meaning that your system will be working at top notch again faster and with fewer disturbances to your property.
• Water heater repair and installation – Everyone’s been stuck with a cold shower at one point or another, and for most people, it’s not an experience that they wish to repeat. If you have a broken or malfunctioning water heater that produces no or insufficient hot water, cold showers aren’t the only problem–without hot water, your dishwasher and washing machine will be unable to provide you the best service possible. Make sure that all of your amenities and appliances are performing at full capacity by calling your professional plumber immediately if you suspect that your water heater is malfunctioning or underperforming. Signs of a spent or damaged water heater can include discolored water, leakage around the tank, lukewarm water, and water that turns cold quickly.

Faucet repair, sewer repair, and drain repair are some more of the quality services performed by your local plumber. A true professional is available to help with jobs both big and small. Plumbing is a modern marvel that makes life as we know it possible. Don’t exacerbate your troubles or inconvenience yourself by hesitating to give your plumbing system the treatment it needs–call today!

Not correcting a minor plumbing problem can turn it into a major one. Call your local expert plumbers today to keep your faucets and drains in tip-top shape!

A clogged drain might seem like a minor problem at first, but as the blockage persists for days, then weeks, it becomes obvious that this is one household annoyance that simply will not solve itself. You try over-the-counter drain fluid, but you’re still being forced to shower up to your ankles in used, scummy water, with no end in sight. You never feel truly clean, your bathroom is starting to smell funny, and you’re embarrassed to have anyone over. It’s time to call your local plumbers to perform professional drain cleaning before the problem gets any worse.

These master plumbers will use state-of-the-art plumbing tools and techniques such as video pipe inspection to locate the exact placement of the troublesome clog and determine its source and severity. This information eliminates the need to perform unnecessary ground excavations or open up any walls in exploration, and lets the plumber know what kind of clog elimination technique to use. That means your drain gets cleaned faster and limits necessary invasive measures.

For very tough clogs, such as encroaching tree roots or wads of hair, your plumber may perform rooter service, which can involve the use of a plumber’s snake. Hydrojetting is also an option to blast away or dissolve the clog. Your local professionals have access to various types and sizes of specialty plumbing equipment, so no matter the cause of the clog or the size of your plumbing, they should be able to help. Amateur jobs performed with inappropriate instruments or products carry the potential of damaging your plumbing system, and in turn, your home. In addition to clearing clogs, your local plumber will also be able to perform drain maintenance tasks such as routine degreasing to prevent major clogs. Remember, dirty drains are unsanitary and can eventually lead to more serious plumbing problems such as cracked or burst pipes.

In addition to clearing drains, your local plumbers can also perform expert faucet repair to stop that annoying plink, plink, plink, and help save you those pennies that keeping falling down the drain! After your drains are returned to their optimal performance and your faucets are no longer wasting water, you’ll be able to enjoy a bathroom that works just like the day your home was built. Don’t settle for a bathroom that is any less than 100% efficient. Call your local plumbers today to keep your bathroom in top-notch shape!